Association of intervention with hygiene practices during initiation of Complementary Feeding among infants in rural Varanasi.

Abstract

Background: Hygiene practices like hand washing before and after food preparation, use of separate
utensils to feed infants, clean water access and sanitation, play crucial role in preventing diseases among
infants, especially when the complementary foods are introduced to them. It’s important to maintain good
hygiene practices, specifically, when caring for infants, to minimize the risk of illnesses like diarrhoea,
respiratory tract infections, gastrointestinal infections, etc. Regular hand washing, proper food handling, clean
and safe storage and maintaining a clean environment are essential for preventing infections in infants. Aims
& Objectives: The current study was conducted with an objective to assess the association of intervention
with hygiene practices during initiation of complementary feeding among infants in Harahua block, Varanasi.
Methodology: The present study was a prospective interventional study conducted in Harahua, Varanasi,
from October, 2021 to November, 2022, for which 2 groups, namely intervention group and control group
were assigned. In each group, 112 mother- child pairs were enrolled and were followed up every month till
the child attained 1 year. An educational intervention for practising exclusive breastfeeding, proper and timely
initiation complementary feeding and benefits of following adequate and proper hygiene practices was given
to the respondents (mothers) of intervention group. Data was collected from the respondents after receiving
written consent from them. A semi- structured questionnaire was designed to collect the data which included
questions related to socio- demographic characteristics, hand washing and hygiene and feeding practices. Data
was analyzed using SPSS version 21. The Chi-square test was used for testing association among variables
and a P- value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: The study indicated that
bottle- feeding practice was high in the control group (65.2%), as compared to the intervention group (49.1%).
Only 48.2% of the mothers fed their babies with bowl and hands in the intervention group. Regular hand
washing practice before preparing food for the baby was observed in 39.3% respondents from the intervention
group. 49.1% mothers from control group sometimes used soap to wash their hands. It was revealed from the
study that 8.9% respondents always used boiled water to prepare food for their babies, while the percentage of
respondents using normal water from both groups was same (48.2%). Conclusion: This study observed that
although there was a significant association between hygiene practices and intervention given, still there was a
lack of knowledge in following proper and appropriate hygiene routines while preparing food for infants in
some of the respondents. To cope up with this challenge, a long term interventions are needed to be strictly
followed at the community level.