Abstract

Background: Maternal cognitive factors, including nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, play a critical role in determining the nutritional status of children under five. However, comprehensive empirical evidence on the impact of these factors is still limited.


Objective: This review aims to systematically synthesize the influence of maternal cognitive factors on the nutritional status of under-five children based on recent studies.


Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant articles were searched across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and GARUDA databases, focusing on publications between 2015 and 2025. Included studies were observational or intervention research involving mothers and under-five children, examining maternal cognitive factors and child nutritional status. Data were extracted and synthesized narratively, and the quality of the included studies was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Cochrane Risk of Bias tools.


Results: Of 2,312 articles initially retrieved, 35 met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicated that better maternal nutritional knowledge was significantly associated with improved child nutritional status across anthropometric indices (weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-height). Moreover, positive maternal attitudes and perceptions toward child feeding and nutrition were linked to a lower risk of undernutrition, including stunting and wasting. The strength of these associations was moderated by maternal education, socioeconomic status, and cultural context.


Conclusions: Maternal cognitive factors exert a significant influence on children’s nutritional status. Strengthening maternal nutritional knowledge and fostering positive attitudes and perceptions through context-specific nutrition education and community-based interventions are essential for sustaining improvements in child nutritional outcomes.