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A child's diet should be composed of appropriate nutrients to achieve optimal nutritional status, and though there is a substantial evidence base for child feeding recommendations, developing countries continue to face challenges regarding optimal child feeding. This paper describes an ethnographic study undertaken in rural northern Ghana to explore community perceptions of what 'counts' as food for children and the impact this had on the nutrients they received. Fifteen households with children under 5 years were purposively selected. In‐depth interviews were held with 25 mothers, 7 fathers and 8 grandparents within these households as well as 2 diviners. Participant observations were also undertaken. Findings show that satiety rather than nutrition was the key consideration in adult choices about a child's diet. The community regarded carbohydrate‐based meals as food, but considered protein, vitamins and mineral‐based foods as nonessential elements of a child's diet, and important sources of these nutrients were regarded as treats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teenagers are influenced by their surroundings, and this may also include their sexual behavior or societal responses to this type of behavior. It is important to understand the complexity of religious mandates and sociocultural disapproval of premarital sex from the perspectives of healthcare professionals. Methods: This qualitative study aimed to explore the influence of religion on healthcare professional's beliefs toward providing sexual and reproductive health information and treatment. An interview topic guide was used in the in-depth interview of 32 healthcare professionals in several health clinics in Malaysia. The data were transcribed and entered into the NVivo 11 software. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the data. Results: The findings show that some healthcare professionals positively incorporated Islamic beliefs into sexual health education session but excluded the contraception information. This study also highlights the strategies used by healthcare professionals (discourse on risk, being selective, maintaining their own honor) when providing sexual health services to teenagers. Conclusion: These findings revealed how religion perpetuates a "moral" approach in the provision of sexual health services that potentially affects teenagers' access to healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]