Student Number : 8325808 - M Family Medicine thesis - Faculty of Health Sciences / Childhood protection from the sun affords lifetime protection from skin cancer. This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted on 184 mothers in 4 medical waiting rooms in Gauteng. The purpose of the study was to determine mothers’ knowledge, attitude and behaviour towards sun protection of their children. Data was collected by means of an anonymous, confidential, self-administered questionnaire. There was a significant correlation between personal behaviour of the mother and behaviour of the use of sun protection on their children. The majority of mothers purchase a sunscreen of SPF factor > 15. Knowledge often does not transfer into behaviour, with many parents still believing that a suntan is healthy. Mothers’ attitudes towards sun protection was positive. Knowing someone with skin cancer does not increase the usage of sun protection. Mothers attain their knowledge of sun protection from magazines and television. Mothers felt they would benefit from more information. Sun avoidance methods need to be taught and the perception of a suntan being healthy needs to be changed in the public media.

Children are at greater risk of malnutrition in Afghanistan than they are in many other countries. Malnutrition impairs the mental and physical growth of more than 50% of children in Afghanistan. It also exacerbates the risks of mortality by 45% in infants and children in Afghanistan. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding complementary feeding and malnutrition in children in Afghanistan. The precaution adoption process model served as a theoretical framework in this quantitative cross-sectional research study. Data analyzed were collected from 306 mothers and children at 6 randomly selected hospitals in Kabul Province. The results of logistic regression models indicated that mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding complementary feeding were statistically significant predictors of stunting in children, Ï?2 (9, N = 306) = 45.33, p < .001; Ï?2 (9, N = 306) = 26.71, p < .01; and Ï?2 (9, N = 306) = 56.97, p < .001 respectively. The strongest predictor was mothers' practicing responsive feeding, where mothers who did not practice responsive feeding were 7.1 times more likely to have stunted children than mothers who practiced responsive feeding. Moreover, the results indicated that mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices of complementary feeding were statistically significant predictors of underweight in children, Ï?2 (9, N = 306) = 37.49, p < .001; Ï?2 (9, N = 306) = 41.15, p < .001; and Ï?2 (9, N = 306) = 44.64, p < .001. The implications for positive social change include reviewing nutrition policies, investing in nutrition programs, and operationalizing nutrition education and behavior change interventions for promoting appropriate complementary infant feeding practices in Afghanistan.