1Research Scholar,
2Associate Professor,
*Corresponding author: Shriya A Seksaria Research Scholar, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Faculty of Family and Community Sciences, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Tel:.
Mass media campaigns are widely used to expose high proportions of large populations to messages through routine uses of existing media, such as television, radio, newspapers etc. The media have proven to bring about effective behavior change and significant desirable health outcomes among the masses.
The present study was undertaken with an objective to evaluate the impact of multimedia in improving the existing knowledge and practices of mothers with respect to breastfeeding (BF) and complementary feeding (CF).
This study involved evaluation of the nutrition health education (NHE) program for 89 tribal mothers residing in Chikhli taluka with children between 6–36 moths. Participants were interviewed to assess their existing knowledge and practices pertaining to breastfeeding and complementary feeding using a pretested structured questionnaire. Nutritional assessment of children was done using standard anthropometric methods. The children were classified as underweight and normal using WHO standards (2007).
A short film was developed in the local language, to impart nutrition health education with special emphasis on breastfeeding and complementary feeding. Leaflets were also distributed which served as ready reckoners. Investigator had interpersonal interaction with the mothers during the monthly home visits and discussed the problems and queries that mothers had related to breastfeeding and complementary feeding. After a period of five months the mothers were again interviewed to assess their improvement in knowledge and practices. Anthropometric measurements of the children were taken to determine the change in nutritional status at the end of 5 months.
The mean scores of the mothers for all the three aspects assessed increased significantly post intervention (p<0.001). The mean composite breastfeeding scores increased by almost 100%. After the education mothers knew that prelactals were harmful for the child and the benefits of feeding colostrums. Mean knowledge and practices composite scores for complementary feeding increased by 44.78% 26.56% respectively. Post intervention mothers know the benefits and correct age of initiating complementary feeds. More mothers started preparing special foods for their child ensuring incorporation of foods from all the food groups. The nutritional status of children also showed a significant decrease in the number of children classified as underweight (x2=20.4, p<0.001) and wasted (x2=22.7, p<0.001).
Mass media campaigns can produce positive changes in health-related behaviours across large populations.
Nutrition Health education, tribal women
