Impact of Community-Based Behaviour-Change Management on Perceived Neonatal Morbidity: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in Shivgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

• Published in: Journal of tropical pediatrics (1980) Vol. 58; no. 4; pp. 286 - 291
• Main Authors: WILLIS, Jeffrey R, KUMAR, Vishwajeet, BAQUI, Abdullah H, SANTOSHAM, Mathuram, DARMSTADT, Gary L, MOHANTY, Saroj, SINGH, Vivek, KUMAR, Aarti, SINGH, Jai V, MISRA, Rajendra P, AWASTHI, Shally, SINGH, Pramod, GUPTA, Amit
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-08-2012
• Subjects: Adult; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Health Services - organization & administration; Cluster Analysis; Community Health Services - methods; Community Health Services - organization & administration; Female; General aspects; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; India - epidemiology; Infant Care - methods; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases - epidemiology; Infant, Newborn, Diseases - prevention & control; Male; Medical sciences; Morbidity; Mothers - education; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Perception; Pregnancy; Preventive Health Services - methods; Preventive Health Services - organization & administration; Program Evaluation; Prospective Studies; Regression Analysis; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Asia; India; Uttar Pradesh; Human; Pediatrics; Prognosis; Developing countries; Morbidity; intervention study; Clinical management; Newborn; Treatment; developing country; Tropical medicine; Behavior; behavior change
• ISSN: 0142-6338; 1465-3664
• DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmr097

In the context of high neonatal mortality rate (NMR) in developing country settings, a promising strategy for enhancing newborn health is promotion of preventive newborn care practices. We measured the effect of a behaviour-change intervention on perceived neonatal illnesses in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. The study was nested in a cluster-randomized controlled trial of the impact of a package of essential newborn care on NMR. We prospectively enrolled 802 mothers and administered a questionnaire on perceived neonatal morbidities. Regression analysis showed that newborns in the intervention clusters had significantly lower risk of perceived diarrhoea [adjusted relative risk (aRR) 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.90] and skin-related complications [aRR 0.67, 95% CI 0.45-1.00] compared to newborns in the comparison area. Assuming incidence of perceived illnesses is a proxy for actual morbidity rates, we conclude that promotion of preventive care practices through behaviour-change interventions was effective in reducing neonatal morbidities.