Socioeconomic and health programme effects upon the behavioral management of diarrhoeal disease in northeast Thailand

Socioeconomic and health programme effects upon the behavioral management of diarrhoeal disease in northeast Thailand

This study investigates the effects of socioeconomic and health programme factors on preventive and curative health behaviors and assesses the impact of preventive health behaviors on the incidence of diarrhoea among children under five years of age. Methodological approaches included focus groups t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Asia-Pacific journal of public health Vol. 4; no. 1; p. 45
Main Authors: Thongkrajai, E, Thongkrajai, P, Stoeckel, J, Na-nakhon, S, Karenjanabutr, B, Sirivatanamethanont, J
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: China 1990
Subjects:
Child, Preschool
Diarrhea - epidemiology
Diarrhea - prevention & control
Diarrhea - therapy
Epidemiologic Methods
Family
Female
Health Education - methods
Health Surveys
Humans
Hygiene
Infant
Mothers
Nutritional Status
Socioeconomic Factors
Thailand
Water Supply
Thailand
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Summary:This study investigates the effects of socioeconomic and health programme factors on preventive and curative health behaviors and assesses the impact of preventive health behaviors on the incidence of diarrhoea among children under five years of age. Methodological approaches included focus groups to uncover local definitions of diarrhoeal disease, a baseline survey which collected data on maternal preventive health behaviors for 1,364 children, and a monitoring system which collected data on the incidence of diarrhoea and on maternal curative behaviors among the same group of children. Results indicate that socioeconomic status and exposure to health programmes showed significant relationships with selected maternal preventive behaviors. Children whose mothers washed their hands before breastfeeding, gave their child food immediately after cooking and warmed foods each time before meals had significantly lower proportions with diarrhoea than children of mothers who did not practice these behaviors, and 70 percent of the children with diarrhoea were exposed to high risk of severe dehydration and related health complications. Implications of these findings for health programmes are discussed.
ISSN:1010-5395
DOI:10.1177/101053959000400108