Abstract
Access to timely information is crucial to planning and decision making. Nursing mothers are part of information users that seek for information relating to nutrition and dietetics. Review of extant literature has identified various causes of infant mortality and other health challenges resulting from malnutrition. However, none identified lack of access to timely nutrition and dietetics information as one of the causes. Therefore, this study focused on nutrition and dietetics information needs and source preferences of nursing mothers in Ede Metropolis. The study adopted a survey method as it is the best method to collect data from sample of individuals. Questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. The population of the study consisted of 291 nursing mothers. Random sampling technique was used to select 210 sample size from two hospitals, namely: Ede Muslim Hospital, Ede (97 nursing mothers) and Osun State Maternity Health Center, Oja-Timi, Ede (113 nursing mothers). The study found that majority of the respondents need information on balanced diet, multivitamins, food safety and food hygiene, with less attention on adequate diet. Also, oral (face-to-face) discussion with doctors and nurses, family and friends and other nursing mothers were the most commonly used information sources by the respondents. It was also discovered that television and Internet were the most preferred information sources, although not among the most commonly used sources. Also, high cost of accessing information and difficulty in accessing doctors or nurses for information were the two major challenges experienced by the respondents. The study recommends, among others, that there is need for the hospital management to engage nutritionists and dieticians; review the procedures in booking a visit/appointment with doctors and nurses to make such less difficult; need for hospitals to have libraries within their premises and also engage librarians that have adequate knowledgeable of information repackaging service.