Effect of Mothers Nutritional Knowledge and Attitudes on Omani Children's Dietary Intake

The study investigates the dietary intakes of Omani preschoolers and associations with both socio-demographic characteristics and the mother's nutritional knowledge and attitudes. A sample of 154 parents of preschoolers completed a questionnaire including socio-demographic characteristics, a food-frequency questionnaire to assess children's food intake, nutritional knowledge and attitudes towards healthy eating. The results showed a lower dietary adequacy of children's food intake in mothers with low educational levels, high-ranked occupation, and lower levels of both nutritional knowledge and food related health attitudes. The highest food intake and healthy eating attitude scores were found in children of mothers with high education level and mother without a job. The association of the dietary adequacy with socio-demographic background can help the Omani healthcare decision makers to develop better-tailored nutrition interventions which are more suitable for the Omani community. The results from this study of mothers' nutritional knowledge and attitudes support the inclusion of knowledge and attitudes in dietary interventions.