Mousa Salehi, BS, MS¹, Mohammad Shahbazi, PhD, MPH, CHES², and SM Kimiagar, PhD¹. (1) Nutrition, Shahed Bihishti University, Tehran, Iran, 144 Apple Blossom Dr., Brandon, MS 39047, (2) Public Health, Jackson State University, 144 Apple Blossom Dr., Brandon, MS 39047, 601/368-2043, mohammad.shahbazi@jsums.edu

Purpose: Childhood malnutrition and mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Less known are the health status of "hard-to-reach" populations in less developed and developing countries. This presentation sheds light on health status of Qashqa'i children, a predominantly nomadic pastoralists tribespeople in southern Iran. Materials: While all newborns are breast-fed and most mothers continue breast feeding their children through the second year in this indigenous population; however, undernourished mothers produce insufficient quantities of breast milk to meet the needs of children and complementary feeding fails to make up the nutrient deficit. Tribeswomen do not encourage their infants to eat other foods until 18-24 months. They restrict complimentary feeding because they believe foods cause “stomach problems”. The adults don't eat complete breakfast nor do they eat beans or cereals for breakfast. Method: community-based volunteers were trained from among the Qashqa'i to teach intervening education to 400 families with children aged 0-59 months. These children, in comparison with the children from 405 families in a control group measured 1.17 kg heavier and 3.7 cm taller than the baseline measurements. Applying Beliefs, Attitude, Subjective Norms, Enabling Factors (BASNEF) model, this study shows how exposure to education and information enabled the mothers to make the best of the resources around to address growth problems. Recommendations: application of hygienic practices/proper food preparations and appropriate nutrition education can play important roles in the health of children. Individuals/policy makers concern with health disparities in other nations and the US may find such study helpful.

Learning Objectives:

• Articulate the procedure for assessing nutritional-related health status of children of a "hard-to-reach" tribespeople; Developing an intervening educational plans for impacting the children of this population; Examining validity of a behavioral change model.

Keywords: Child Health, Behavioral Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.