EFFECTIVENESS OF STRUCTURED NURSING INTERVENTION ON NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF UNDERFIVE CHILDREN, KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE OF MOTHERS REGARDING THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF PROTEIN ENERGY MALNUTRITION IN SELECTED COASTAL VILLAGES OF KERALA.

Abstract

Malnutrition is not only an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality, but leads also to permanent impairment of physical and possibly, of mental growth of those who survive. The study was carried out to nd out the effectiveness of structured nursing intervention on nutritional status of underve children, knowledge and practice of mothers regarding prevention and management of malnutrition in selected coastal villages of Kerala. Samples consisted of 122 underve children who were identied with different degrees of malnutrition and their mothers. Pre experimental study design was used. Anthropometric parameters (Weight, Height, MUAC) were checked. Structured knowledge questionnaire and practice check list were used to measure the knowledge and practice of mothers related to the prevention and management of malnutrition. All the measurements were carried out once before the Structured Nursing Intervention and three times after the intervention. Structured Nursing Intervention was found to be effective in improving the knowledge and practice of mothers related to prevention and management of malnutrition among underve children (p < 0.001). Percentage of grade I malnutrition reduced from 83.6% in pre test to 63.69% in post test III. Z test was carried out and it was concluded that Structured Nursing Intervention had signicant inuence on the nutritional status of underve children (Z = 3.33**, p value <0.01).