Behavioural drivers of suboptimal maternal and child feeding practices in Rwanda: An anthropological study

Abstract At 33% of under‐5s, stunting rates in Rwanda remain stubbornly high, as do figures for maternal (25% of pregnant women) and childhood anaemia (37%). Intensive communication and education campaigns have provided caregivers with high levels of knowledge about best practices in Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN), but this is not translating into the improved diets which could contribute to reducing rates of stunting. Deploying an anthropological approach via multi‐module Focused Ethnographic Studies carried out within household case studies, the research team sought to understand drivers of suboptimal feeding practices in a sample of 30 households across all of Rwanda's districts. The sample included households with pregnant women as well as children in the 6–60 month age range. Analysed against a framework of proximal and underlying causes of under‐nutrition, our results reveal gaps in the knowledge‐capability‐practice chain resulting from decisions and prioritisations taken by caregivers and heads‐of‐household. Pregnant women and mothers of young children possess high levels of knowledge about feeding themselves and their young children, but this is not reflected in decision‐making and prioritisation around the acquisition and feeding of animal source foods, whose consumption is low among both groups. This was found to be true even in households which own and raise livestock. Turning to policy and programmes, we argue for a move towards incentivized human capital programming focusing on the ‘last mile’ behaviour change which is needed to translate knowledge and capability into better dietary choices.