Impact of community-based behaviour-change management on perceived neonatal morbidity: a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Shivgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
Willis, J.R.; Kumar, V.; Mohanty, S.; Singh, V.; Kumar, A.; Singh, J.V.; Misra, R.P.; Awasthi, S.; Singh, P.; Gupta, A.; Baqui, A.H.; Santosham, M.; Darmstadt, G.L.; Ahuja, R.C.; Awasthi, S.; Baqui, A.H.; Bhandari, M.; Black, R.E.; Darmstadt, G.L.; Gupta, A.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, V.; Malik, G.K.; Mehrotra, H.; Misra, R.P.; Mohanty, S.; Mitra, M.K.; Santosham, M.; Singh, J.V.; Singh, P.; Singh, V.; Reinke, W.; Frick, K.; Ahmed, S.; Waters, H.; Bloomberg, J.H.; Ahuja, R.C.; Mitra, M.K.; Srivastava, V
Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 58(4): 286-291
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1465-3664 PMID: 22147281 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/fmr097Document Number: 564245
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.