Abstract:
Introduction
The level of child nutrition plays a crucial role in growth& development which construct
lifetime effect. This study was intended to improve nutritional status of children through
community based health promotion intervention.
Methodology
Quasi experiment design and a stratified cluster sampling method was used to select
intervention and control groups for the study. (30 families) Objectives of this study were
1)To design and implement an intervention to address selected determinant factors of
nutritious food intake of children,2) Assess the effectiveness of the intervention in relation to
change in variety of food intake, frequency of food intake, parental involvement, appetite
peer pressure and media influence of feeding.
An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect information. Weight of the
children were measured using a measuring scale. Mothers were empowered to identify
essential areas to improve nutritious food intake and design activities accordingly. Diffusion
innovation Theory and Health belief Model were utilized in designing of the intervention.
―Nutritional Butterfly‖ was design to overcome underling factors identified by mothers.
Communities were continued with collective and individual level activities while addressing
obstacles.Progress of two groups were obtained by Interviewer administered questionnaire,
Focus group discussion, daily records of the mothers and by measuring weight of children.
Result /Conclusion
Nutritional Food intake level was changed by 87%in intervention group, 7% by control
group. Statistically significant differences between pre & post results in intervention group
(t=12.07, p 0) was noted, while the pre & post results in control group (t=1.75, p=0.09) was
not significant at the 95% CI. Average age of the study subjects were 3 years in both groups.
Mean weight gain was 340 g. Therefore the health promotion intervention which mainly
targeted children less than five years is found to be effective to improve the nutritional food
intake and weight of children in rural communities.
