Relationship between maternal health behavior and physical growth pattern of ‎children under one year referred to health departments of Rasht city

Physical growth in infants is the most important health indicator. In fact many ‎factors influence infants’ physical growth. Because of complete dependence of infants to their ‎mothers and role of mother care and health behavior is important for health promotion.‎

This research is a correlational descriptive study done with the aim of determining ‎relationship between maternal health behaviors with physical growth pattern in children under ‎one year.‎

Data collection tool was a questionnaire including two sections: the first part ‎included demographic characteristics of mother and child, and second part included three ‎sections for measurement of health behavior about nutrition, sleep and preventing disease in ‎child under one year. Information related health behavior was completed with reading ‎questionnaire and measurement of physical growth was Recorded from file. ‎‏362‏‎ mother and ‎their children under one year were selected randomly.

Research finding about physical growth of child less than one year showed that most ‎of them (‎‏57.5%‏‎) had unfavorable physical growth. Also the results about health preventing ‎indicated most of (‎‏57.7%‏‎) sample had suitable health behavior and about sleep most of (‎‏88.7%‏‎) ‎them have unsuitable health behaviors. Result showed that there was significant correlation ‎between mother’s health behavior in all three domains and child physical growth according to ‎mother and child’s demographic characteristics (p<‎‏0/001‏‎).‎

Results showed that most of the mothers of childern had suitable health ‎behavior about children’s nutrition (‎‏69.2%‏‎) sleep (‎‏19.3%‏‎), and prevention of disease (‎‏86.5%‏‎).And ‎also children had favorable physical growth and there was a significant correlation between ‎maternal health behavior and child physical growth pattern (p<‎‏0.001‏‎).‎