Impact of Instructional Programme on Knowledge Regarding Protein Energy Malnutrition among the Mothers of Preschool Children from Selected Rural Areas of Karnataka: Pretest

• Author Details:   
• Rangappa S. Ashi ^*
• Sanjay M Peerapur

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Background of the study: According to World Health organization (WHO), protein energy malnutrition refers to “an imbalance between the supply of protein and energy and the body’s demand for them to ensure optimal growth and function”1. It is a major public health problem in India. It affects particularly the preschool children (< 6>Methods: The quantitative research approach was used for the study. The present study adopted mixed research design in two stages, first stage uses cross sectional descriptive survey for the identification of pre-school children suffering with protein energy malnutrition and second stage randomized pretest posttest control group design for evaluating the Impact of instructional program on knowledge regarding protein energy malnutrition among the mothers of preschool children from selected rural areas of Karnataka was adopted. Nola Penders Model was used as a conceptual framework for the study. Cross sectional survey was conducted in the selected rural areas of Dharwad to screen the preschool children to find the prevalence of protein energy malnutrition in them.1000 preschool children’s were selected and screened them for assessing protein energy malnutrition by using Indian Academic of Pediatrics Classification (IAP). A total 430 mothers of preschool children residing at selected rural areas of Dharwad were selected by using simple random sampling technique. Structured knowledge questionnaires were used to collect the data from study participants. The results were described by using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: Prevalence-Out of 1000 preschool children 430 children were malnourished that is 43% and 570 that is 57% children were normally nourished. Prevalence of protein energy malnutrition in preschool children is 43% in rural areas of Dharwad.

Knowledge: Pretest knowledge of experimental group score mean was 14.36 and standard deviation was 2.78. Pretest knowledge score of control group mean was 14.37 and standard deviation was 2.72.

Experimental group: In the pretest, 23 (9.30%) of participants were having poor knowledge, 195 (90.70%) of participants were having average knowledge and no participants had a good knowledge regarding protein energy malnutrition.

Control group: In the pre-test, 21(9.77%) of participants were having poor knowledge, 194 (90.23%) of participants were having average knowledge and no participants had a good knowledge regarding protein energy malnutrition. Interpretation and Conclusion: The overall findings of the study revealed that the Majority of preschool children mothers’ knowledge regarding protein energy malnutrition was poor.

Keywords: Impact, Prevalence, instructional program, knowledge, Prevention, protein energy malnutrition.