IMPROVING MOTHERS' KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES ON GROWTH MONITORING THROUGH AN INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA NUTRITION EDUCATION MODULE: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164046Keywords:
Growth Monitoring, Interactive Multimedia Nutrition Education Module, Maternal Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, StuntingAbstract
Growth monitoring is a key component of child health care as it helps in the early detection of faltering growth and timely intervention to prevent stunting. Mothers are important to ensure children receive regular growth monitoring services. However, barriers in effective utilisation of these services may include lack of knowledge, negative attitude and inappropriate practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Interactive Multimedia Nutrition Education Module (IMNEM) on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of mothers regarding growth monitoring among mothers of stunted children. A quasi-experimental study was conducted among mothers of stunted children involved in the IMNEM intervention. Maternal knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding growth monitoring were assessed before and after intervention using validated questionnaire. Changes in maternal knowledge, attitudes and practices after the intervention were assessed by appropriate statistical methods. Both groups showed improved knowledge over time, while the intervention group demonstrated greater improvements in attitudes and practices than the control group following completion of the IMNEM programme. At follow-up mothers had better understanding of child growth monitoring and had more positive attitudes towards the regular growth assessment and adopted the appropriate growth monitoring practices compared with baseline. The findings suggest that multi-media based nutritional education is an effective education strategy for increasing maternal participation in growth monitoring activities and promoting early detection of growth problems in children at risk of stunting. The integration of interactive multimedia education into routine maternal and child health services may improve the implementation of growth monitoring programmes and support ongoing efforts to reduce childhood stunting. Further studies are needed to determine the long-term sustainability of the intervention and its effectiveness in different community settings.
Downloads
References
Akinrinmade, R., Njogu, E., Ogada, I. A., & Keshinro, O. O. (2019). Effectiveness of nutrition education in improving maternal knowledge and attitudes towards complementary feeding practices: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Ondo State, Nigeria. The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence, 5(4), 1–10.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.
Black, R. E., Victora, C. G., Walker, S. P., Bhutta, Z. A., Christian, P., de Onis, M., Ezzati, M., Grantham-McGregor, S., Katz, J., Martorell, R., & Uauy, R. (2013). Maternal and child undernutrition and overweight in low-income and middle-income countries. The Lancet, 382(9890), 427–451.
Branch, R. M. (2009). Instructional design: The ADDIE approach. Springer.
Daniel, B., Tesfaye, N., Mekonin, E., Kassa, A., Mensur, K., Zerihun, E., Deriba, K., Tadesse, H., & Yeheyis, T. (2017). Knowledge and attitude on growth monitoring and its associated factors among mothers/guardians of children less than two years in Areka Town, Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Nutrition Disorders & Therapy, 7(3), 1–6.
de Onis, M., & Branca, F. (2016). Childhood stunting: A global perspective. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 12(Suppl. 1), 12–26.
Debuo, D. T., Appiah, P. K., Kweku, M., Asalu, G. A., Ahiabor, S. Y., Takramah, W. K., & Duut, A. B. (2017). Caregivers’ knowledge, attitude and practices on child growth monitoring and promotion activities in Lawra District, Upper West Region of Ghana. Science Journal of Public Health, 5(1), 20–30.
Garner, P., Panpanich, R., & Logan, S. (2000). Is routine growth monitoring effective? A systematic review of trials. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 82(3), 197–201.
Glanz, K., Rimer, B. K., & Viswanath, K. (Eds.). (2008). Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Habib, M. A., Alam, M. R., Rahman, T., Chowdhury, A. I., & Shill, L. C. (2023). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of nutrition among school teachers in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE, 18(3), e0283530.
Institute for Public Health. (2023). National Health and Morbidity Survey 2022: Maternal and child health.
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Mayer, R. E. (2020). Multimedia learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Mitra, M., Lita, L., Mardeni, M., & Nurlisis, N. (2023). Evaluation of the effectiveness of the Stunting Education and Anticipation System on improving knowledge, attitudes, and practice about the stunting of Pekanbaru City mothers. Health Education and Health Promotion, 11(2), 195–201.
National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition. (2016). National plan of action for nutrition of Malaysia III, 2016–2025. Ministry of Health Malaysia.
UNICEF. (2021). Digital interventions for improving maternal and child nutrition.
United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization, & World Bank. (2023). Levels and trends in child malnutrition: UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Group joint child malnutrition estimates: Key findings of the 2023 edition. World Health Organization.
Victora, C. G., Christian, P., Vidaletti, L. P., Gatica-Domínguez, G., Menon, P., & Black, R. E. (2021). Revisiting maternal and child undernutrition in low-income and middle-income countries: Variable progress towards an unfinished agenda. The Lancet, 397(10282), 1388–1399.
World Health Organization Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. (2006). World Health Organization child growth standards based on length/height, weight and age. Acta Paediatrica Supplement, 450, 76–8
World Health Organization. (2007). WHO/UNICEF technical consultation on measuring progress towards child survival, Siem Reap, Cambodia, 23–25 October 2007: Report.
World Health Organization. (2019). WHO guideline: Recommendations on digital interventions for health system strengthening.
World Health Organization. (2023). Stunting in children under 5 years of age.
