A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Caregivers’ Nutritional Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Infant Feeding in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Suboptimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices during the first 1,000 days cause irreversible cognitive deficits and childhood morbidity. This descriptive cross-sectional study assessed caregivers' nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding infant feeding in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Utilizing a validated interviewer-administered questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha (0.75), data were collected from a multi-stage sample of 422 caregivers of infants aged 0–24 months and analyzed via SPSS version 26.0 using Chi-Square tests and Pearson correlations (p 2.50 criterion benchmark), demonstrating strong self-efficacy in preparing local foods (x = 4.60) and prioritizing healthcare worker advice (x = 4.41). However, critical misconceptions persisted: caregivers erroneously believed that breast milk alone is insufficient (x = 3.17) and that Bayelsa's hot weather necessitates introducing water before six months (x = 2.57). In practice, handwashing and demand-feeding achieved 100% compliance, but 36.2% of caregivers failed to avoid giving pre-lacteal or extra fluids before six months. The primary operational challenges were economic and socio-cultural, driven by spousal financial deficits (x = 4.43), high market costs of nutritious foods (x = 4.41), and intense domestic pressure from mothers-in-law to give water early (x = 4.26). Inferential tests confirmed that caregiver knowledge and practices are significantly associated with infant health outcomes (p