Introduction
PD, PDA, malnutrition
MALNOURISHED, WASTED, POSITIVE, MALNUTRITION
Around the world, a total of 156 million children experienced stunted growth, and 50 million were wasted. It has been found that only about 43% of infants are exclusively breastfed, while the majority of children do not receive sufficient and safe complementary foods. Additionally, in numerous countries, less than a quarter of infants aged 6–24 months meet the required standards for dietary diversity and feeding frequency that are appropriate for their age (The Positive Deviance Approach (PDA) in the field of health refers to the phenomenon where certain individuals achieve positive outcomes despite challenging circumstances. In the international health community, the PDA has primarily been used to study children who display exceptional growth despite living in impoverished environments (Currently, positive deviance is being more utilized in international development activities as a way to incorporate locally tested solutions into problem-solving. It also serves as a method to encourage local engagement in addressing these issues (PD improved dietary intake, rapid weight gains in severely malnourished children, exclusive breastfeeding, and reduced morbidity in the intervention communities compared with non-intervention communities (In Ethiopia, there have been limited studies on the relationship between malnutrition and a positive deviance approach (PDA). PDA is a unique practice that provides an advantage to those who practice it compared with the rest of the community. This behavior is likely to be feasible, acceptable, and sustainable since it is already prevalent among at-risk populations, does not contradict local culture and traditions, and is effective. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a community-based intervention using the PDA in enhancing mothers’ nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy and improving their children’s nutrition outcomes in rural Ethiopia.