Effectiveness of Package for Behaviour Change of Mothers in Prevention of Diarrhoea in Children less than 2 Years of Age in a Resettlement Colony

Diarrhea is a major health issue in developing countries with high morbidity and mortality rate among children below 2 years of age. Hygiene practices of mothers are associated with occurrence of diarrhea in children. We carried out an intervention to assess the effectiveness of behaviour change package on the prevention of diarrhoea in children ≤2 years of age. The sample was taken by stratified systemic random sampling technique. A total of 101 mothers, 50 in intervention group and 51 in control group were enrolled for study. In the intervention group mothers were educated on hygienic practices by using flash cards. In the subsequent 5 visits, mothers were reinforced about the hygiene and sanitation practices. These visits were also used to observe practices of mothers and recording diarrheal episodes among children. In the control group, after three months behavioural practices of mothers were observed and diarrheal episodes among children were recorded. Implementation using a package brought a significant improvement in mothers’ practices related to hygiene and sanitation. Diarrhea was 4.3 times higher in control group as compared to intervention group. Behaviour change practices related to hygiene and sanitation of mothers is effective in prevention of acute diarrheal diseases among children below 2 years of age.