One of the determinants of the poor improvement in child nutrition
indicators observed in Laos is mothers’ feeding practices. These practices are
influenced by many socio-environmental factors and are expected to be targets
of public health programs against malnutrition. The purpose of this work is toexamine
how the Lao National Nutrition Strategy (NNS) incorporates the issue of the
determinants of the behavior of mothers of young children in its
recommendations. We argue that the little consideration brought in the NNS to
key determinants of women’s behavior is a major explanatory factor for the poor performance in improving the nutrition status
of Lao under-five-year-old children.
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