Improving mothers' practice about nutritional care for children aged 6-24 months with acute respiratory infections at Nam Dinh Children's Hospital in 2020

Abstract

Objectives: To determinechanges of mothers’ practice about nutritional care for children 6-24 months old with acute respiratory infections at Nam Dinh Children’s Hospital after health education intervention.

Subjects and research methods: Study subjects include 75 mothers with children 6-24 months old with ARIs at Nam Dinh Children’s Hospital, quasi experimental study design.

Results: The mean score of practice before the intervention was 5.8 ± 2.1 and after the intervention increased to 8.3 ± 1.9, the difference was statistically significant with p < 0.05, t = 3.2. The biggest increase was the mothers who increased the amount of food for one meal for their children (22.7% - 58.7% after the intervention) and practiced giving the children more fruit (38.7%-72%). however, the intervention was limited in that it only partially improved the mother’s activity of feeding thinner infants (9.3%-12%). Research has shown that the effectiveness of health education interventions has significantly improved maternal nutrition care practices, so that children with acute respiratory infections have better nutritional care.

Conclusion: After the intervention with health education, nutrition care practice of mothers with children 6-24 months has increased, the level of practice has increased from 57.3% before the intervention to 80% after the intervention