BU R&D Journal 21 (1): 9-21, July 2018 | ISSN (Print): 0016-4139 journal.bicol-u.edu.ph Infant Health Beliefs and Practices of Mothers in Taysan Resettlement Site in Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines Esther S. Valladolid Bicol University College of Nursing, Legazpi City Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract This study is in response to the nation’s continued commitment to improve the health outcomes of Filipino children. It is an attempt to contribute to the sustainable development goal on good health and well-being (SDG 3) aimed at reducing the neonatal mortality rate in the country. This study determined the profile of mothers in the resettlement site of barangay Taysan in Legazpi City as well as their infant health beliefs and practices. It utilized the descriptive survey method and questionnaire-checklist as data-gathering instruments administered to 84 respondents who are mothers with children between the ages zero and one year old residing at Taysan resettlement site. Majority of the respondents were young housewives with meager income, with three children, and having had their first pregnancy when they were 22 years old. Based on ranking, their most common infant health beliefs on infant feeding, hygiene, and care of the sick include the following concepts: breastfeeding promotes mother-baby bonding and breast milk is better than infant formula in contents, bathing the infant any day except Tuesdays and Fridays to prevent illnesses caused by evil spirits, and applying chewed leaves or betel juice (mama) on the baby’s abdomen that can treat bloated belly and wounds. Their popular practices include breastfeeding regularly and breastfeeding infant on the well breast, applying 70% alcohol on the umbilical cord three times a day to prevent infection and promote wound healing, and giving doctor-prescribed medications only after consultation. Cultural beliefs and traditional practices still exist, which are associated with health risks and adverse health outcomes. Hence, there is a need to enhance the implementation of the essential newborn care (ENC) protocol while recognizing and appreciating indigenous health beliefs and practices. Keywords: Colostrum, Infant, Feeding, Hygiene, Healing Introduction Filipinos are a spiritual and religious group. They imbued the science of Western medicine and fear discarding traditional practices because their contributed to the training of many Filipino health care ancestors might become angry and cause trouble professionals. However, just as the modern Filipino in their lives and communities. Further, the cultural culture is a composite of foreign and local elements, beliefs and practices are already merged with their health beliefs, and healing practices also may integrate attitudes and behaviors as well as their cognitive aspect. traditional Filipino folk medicine (Ordonez, 2004). Thus, they are generally doubtful of new ideas because of what they have already known and practiced over a Filipinos from rural areas are more knowledgeable period of time. According to Siojo (2016), the Philippines about home remedies, traditional healing techniques, is a country full of beliefs, which are practiced mainly and supernatural illnesses while those from urban because Filipinos believe that there is nothing to lose if areas rely more on Western medical interventions and they abide by them. non-prescription drugs. However, in both these areas, various local folk practices and contemporary health There is a considerable intracultural diversity care systems are simultaneously utilized (Montepio, among Filipinos as regards health beliefs and health 1986). practices. Centuries of colonialism has obviously BU R&D Journal, Vol. 21, July 2018 Valladolid: Infant Health Beliefs and Practices of Mothers in Taysan ISSN (Print): 0016-4139 Resettlement Site in Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines journal.bicol-u.edu.ph Because Filipinos have a rich multicultural feeding, hygiene, and care of sick infant. Likewise, the heritage, health providers should have knowledge of results of the study will help the mothers realize the cultural beliefs, attitudes, and traditions of mothers importance and benefits of health practices on infant related to infant feeding, hygiene, and care of the sick feeding, hygiene and care of the sick infant while in order to communicate effectively as well as plan and respecting their individual beliefs, cultural background, provide appropriate and individualized interventions. and values. Moreover, it will also serve as the baseline After information about cultural beliefs, attitudes, and data for the Department of Health (DOH) to enhance traditions were obtained, health providers used it as the existing health programs on maternal and child basis for planning culturally appropriate strategies for healthcare. maternal and child care (Jones, 2017). The Child Survival Strategy published by the Materials and Methods Department of Health (2008) has emphasized the need to strengthen health services of children throughout Research Design and Sampling Design the stages. The neonatal period has been identified as one of the most crucial phase in the survival, growth, This study utilized the descriptive survey method. and development of the child. One of the many Participants answered questions administered through international and local initiatives that help save lives interviews or questionnaires. The target population of of pregnant women and children is Essential Newborn the study was women of reproductive age with zero Care (ENC). ENC is a simple cost-effective newborn to one year old children residing in the resettlement care intervention that can improve neonatal as well site of Taysan, Legazpi City. They were residents of as maternal care. It is an evidence-based intervention Padang, Legazpi City, who got displaced because of that emphasizes a core sequence of actions, performed lahar flow during the Mayon Volcano eruption in methodically (step-by-step), and organized so that 2009. Total enumeration was used to get the number essential time-bound interventions are not interrupted of respondents. Eighty-four mothers were qualified as and fills the gap for a package of bundled interventions study respondents based on the inclusion criteria set by in a guideline format (DOH, 2010). the researcher. Taysan is the largest barangay in the city of Questionnaire and Instruments Legazpi with a total land area of 1,594.2 hectares. It is four kilometers away from the Albay District in A questionnaire-checklist translated in Bikol Legazpi City, which can be reached by all means of was the main data-gathering instrument, which was land transportation. It is composed of 10 puroks. Purok personally administered to each mother-respondent. 8 is where the resettlement site is located. The barangay The indicators used in formulating the questionnaire has a total population of 12,304 and total household of were based on the output of the interviews of women 2,547 as of 2014 (LGU–Taysan). Sixty percent of the of reproductive age who were residents of Taysan, families belong to the middle class. Dwelling structures Legazpi City. The questionnaire-checklist was pilot- in this barangay are mostly concrete and semi-concrete. tested to 10 mothers from Bungkaras Resettlement The residents’ main source of income is farming. site in Camalig, Albay. The results of the dry run were incorporated into the final draft of the instrument. This study attempted to determine the infant health beliefs and practices of mothers in the resettlement site The research tool consists of three parts such as the of barangay Taysan in Legazpi City, province of Albay. mother-respondents’ profile, infant health beliefs on Specifically, it determined the demographic profile of infant feeding, hygiene, and care of the sick infant as mother-respondents, including the infant health beliefs well as their infant health practices on the areas stated. of mothers along infant feeding, hygiene, and care of the sick infant as well as the infant health practices of Analysis of Data mothers along the same areas. Frequency distribution, percentage, ranking and weighted mean were used for data analysis and The expected output of the study will not only interpretation. Likert scale was used to quantify supplement the government’s efforts, but also widen the infant health beliefs and practices of mother- the perspective and expand knowledge on the existing respondents along infant feeding, hygiene, and care of cultural beliefs and traditional practices on infant sick infant. 10 Valladolid: Infant Health Beliefs and Practices of Mothers in Taysan BU R&D Journal, Vol. 21, July 2018 Resettlement Site in Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines ISSN (Print): 0016-4139 journal.bicol-u.edu.ph 1.00 – 1.79 = Don’t Believe (DB) that of Ocampo (1994) whose respondents were housewives as well (60.9%). Traditional roles still prevail 1.80 – 2.59 = Slightly Believe (SLB) in rural areas, where women care for the house and 2.60 – 3.39 = Moderately Believe (MB) children. In fact, mothers reportedly take on traditional 3.40 – 4.19 = Believe (B) roles in the home such as the tasks of childrearing, discipline, and “managing the home” (Alampay, 2012). 4.20 – 5.00 = Strongly Believe (STB) According to Pew Research Center (2015), in The weighted mean results of infant health beliefs households where the father works fulltime and the and practices of mother-respondents were ranked mother works part time or not at all, the distribution from the highest to the lowest and interpreted as the of labor when it comes to childcare and housekeeping most common to the least. The grand mean of the is less balanced. These mothers take on more of the infant health beliefs and practices was computed for responsibility for parenting tasks and household chores generalization of research output. than those who work full time. Majority or 60% of the mother-respondents earn Results and Discussion from a range of Php 1,000.00 to a little less than Php 5,000.00 per month. It is evident that most of the Demographic Profile of the Respondents mother-respondents’ income falls below NEDA’s figure of Php 42,000.00 to live above the poverty level.