Cultural beliefs and dietary practices among Somali mothers: implications for child nutrition

Background Somalia faces one of the world’s most severe and protracted nutritional crises, with approximately 63% of children under five experiencing severe food poverty. Cultural beliefs and maternal dietary practices are foundational, yet under-characterized, determinants of child nutritional outcomes in this setting. Objective This narrative review synthesizes peer-reviewed evidence on the influence of Somali mothers’ cultural beliefs and dietary practices on child nutrition, and identifies key intervention entry points. Methods A narrative literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted for literature published between January 2010 and April 2025, supplemented by comparable evidence from other Horn of Africa and sub-Saharan African populations where direct Somali data were unavailable. The review was informed by the SANRA (Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles) criteria for methodological transparency. Six thematic domains were identified inductively and synthesized narratively. Key findings Six dominant themes were identified: (1) breastfeeding beliefs including early formula supplementation and colostrum discarding; (2) pregnancy and lactation food taboos restricting protein-rich and micronutrient-dense foods; (3) Ramadan fasting among lactating mothers and its effects on breast milk micronutrient composition; (4) gendered food allocation norms that deprioritise maternal dietary needs; (5) the authoritative role of grandmothers in infant-feeding decisions; and (6) structural barriers—displacement, poverty, and limited health literacy—that compound cultural vulnerabilities. Conclusion Culturally informed, multi-generational, and gender-sensitive nutrition interventions anchored in Islamic health discourse and delivered through community platforms are required to reduce the child malnutrition burden in Somalia.