A comparative study of the nutritional beliefs and practices of mothers in Japan and the Philippines

College

Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education

Department/Unit

Dept of English and Applied Linguistics

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1994

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the degree of acceptance on nutritional beliefs and practices of mothers in selected villages in the Philippines to the combined villages, towns and cities in Hokkaido. In the Philippines, the research method such as questionnaire, interview, observation and some of the documents of mothers and children were used for data gathering. While in Japan inquiry form for the health personnels and questionnaire to mothers were utilized.

The nutritional beliefs and practices listed in the questionnaire were selected items from the gathered beliefs and practices of Filipino mothers living in villages. 225 Filipino mothers answered Tagalog (Philippine national language) questionnaire. Tagalog question­naire was translated in English, then translated into Japanese 359 Japanese mothers who served as respondents. Listed below are obtained as results.

1. Final educational attainment of mothers in both countries revealed a big difference. In Japan, 7.5% of mothers completed Junior high school, 56.1 % finished Senior high school and the rest, 36.3%. was in higher educational attainment. While Filipino mothers (49. 3%) finished elementary level and 8.4% graduated from college. 70. 2% of Japanese mothers and 60. 9% of Filipino mothers were housewives, other Japanese and Filipino mothers have a job. Distribution of the kind of occupation of mothers were significantly different in both countries. Japanese family size mostly ranged between 1-3 children (70.8%), while in the Philippines. 1-3 children obtained 52%, the rest of 48% being above three. The distribution of family size was significantly different between both countries. Husband was the main breadwinner in the family in both countries, 82. 2% in Japan and 64.0 in the Philippines. Japanese mothers (90. 7%) and Filipino mothers (50.7%) were the main decision maker of family foods.

2. From the assessment of acceptance of the Japanese mothers on the Filipino nutri­tional beliefs and practices, it was indicated that they did not agree to all items of the ques­tionnaire related from conception to weaning procedures, except for one belief "mother should not eat sweet foods during pregnancy". Filipino mothers moderately agree to beliefs and practices during conception and after delivery. It was a distinct difference in both countries. The weighted mean calculated for representing the degree of acceptance on 9 items during conception, 6 items after delivery and 7 items for weaning procedures differed significantly be­tween both countries. In weighted mean of beliefs and practices during pregnancy, there was no significant difference between two countries. In Japan 62.2% of mothers and 60.9% in the Philippines reared their newborn babies by breastfeeding. 39.1 % of Filipino mothers weaned their babies at 13-18 months of age. While 45.6% Japanese mothers weaned them at 7-12 months of age. Therefore, Filipino mothers weaned their babies in later period of time than Japanese mothers.

3. Filipino mothers (62. 2%) and Japanese mothers (7. 0%) answered that they generally accepted nutritional beliefs and practices, and the rest of them were "no" and "doubt / maybe". The distribution of acceptance on beliefs and practices was significantly different between mothers in both countries. On the degree of its influence on baby's health, 38.2% of Japanese mothers and 46.7% of Filipino mothers answered "not serious" or "not a problem at all". The remaining mothers were "serious" or "moderately serious". Whereas on the de­gree of the influence on mother's health. 43.8% of Japanese and 44.5% of Filipino mothers considered "not serious" or "not a problem at aII". In order to minimize problems come from these beliefs and practices. a majority (66. 7%) of Filipino mothers preferred continous lectures for obtaining information on correct nutrition and health care of children and themselves. While Japanese mothers chose several suggested solutions, ranking first was "self initiative' to know the effect of beliefs and practices".

4. We gathered 28 Japanese beliefs and practices in the past and 23 at present through health personnels in Hokkaido. We found 10 similar items when Japanese beliefs and practices compared to Filipino beliefs and practices listed in the questionnaire. On the otherhand, 8 Japanese beliefs and practices in the past and 11 present were found to be similar to Filipino ones both listed and not listed in the questionnaire.

5. Japanese mothers were divided into subgroups by location and their profle, i.e., age, occupation and final educational attainment, then the degree of acceptance of nutritional beliefs and practices was compared among these groups. Location, age and occupation did not affect the degree of acceptance. While the weighted mean for the degree of acceptance of beliefs and practices related to conception was significantly different among Japanese mothers divided by their educational attainment. The higher the educational attainment of mothers the lesser the possibility to follow the nutritional beliefs and practices.

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Disciplines

Medicine and Health | Women's Health

Note

Source title in Japanese

Keywords

Pregnancy—Nutritional aspects—Japan; Pregnancy—Nutritional aspects—Philippines; Nutritional anthropology—Japan; Nutritional anthropology—Philippines

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