Early feeding practices and stunting in Rwandan children: a cross-sectional study from the 2010 Rwanda demographic and health survey

Introduction: in Rwanda, despite different interventions to improve child nutrition status, malnutrition in children under five years of age continue to be a public health concern. This study aimed to evaluate the factors that contribute to childhood stunting by assessing feeding practices of Rwandans in children ≤ 2 years of age. Methods: A cross-sectional study with data obtained from the 2010 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey was conducted on 1,634 children ≤ 2 years of age with complete anthropometrical measurements. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between feeding practices and childhood stunting. Results: The results revealed that 35.1% of 1,634 children were stunted. Breastfeeding for 1 year (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.91-4.01, P < 0.001) increased the risk of childhood stunting. After controlling for confounders, solid food initiation (OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.47-3.16, P≥ 0.690) and early initiation to breastfeeding (OR = 1.16, CI = 0.90-1.51, P = 0.243) were not associated with childhood stunting. Conclusion: There was a significant association between continued breastfeeding for 1 year and childhood stunting. We suggest supplementary feeding for children who are breastfed for ≥1 year

Towards innovation in digital and open scholarship for nonrivalrous lifelong learning and supporting open learning: The case of the Open Scholars Network

The Open Scholars Network was created with an agenda to respond to the increasing inaccessibility of higher education to underprivileged learners in Rwanda, and to the need for open scholarship and digital scholarship development among academics in this country. The network emerged from a study on opening up higher education. It consists of academics/teachers who are trained or are willing to develop competences in open education, distance education, eLearning, open scholarship and digital scholarship via non-rivalrous lifelong learning. In this paper, definitions of the open scholarship and digital scholarship concepts in the relevant literature are noted. Then, the study results and contextual challenges that led to the creation of the Open Scholars Network are presented. Finally, the current and envisaged contribution of the network to open/ digital scholarship development and opening up higher education is discussed. This article may be beneficial to educators, open scholars and digital scholars in both well-resourced and under-resourced settings