DID analysis of the impact of the women's groups’ intervention on child health indicators
| Outcomes | Control | Intervention | DID estimate | 95% CI | p Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre | Post | Pre | Post | ||||
| Mother's under-5 health-related knowledge | |||||||
| Total n | 971 | 1188 | 926 | 1082 | |||
| ≥3 ways to prevent diarrhoea (%) | 14.1 | 40.6 | 41.1 | 94.5 | 26.7 | 22.0 to 31.5 | <0.001 |
| ≥3 ways to prevent worms (%) | 10.4 | 2.1 | 19.4 | 88.2 | 57.1 | 52.8 to 61.4 | <0.001 |
| Knowledge of ≥3 danger signs (%) | 5.8 | 16.7 | 28.9 | 73.0 | 33.2 | 28.7 to 37.8 | <0.001 |
| Hand washing with soap before food preparations (%) | 12.1 | 6.5 | 19.5 | 28.0 | 14.3 | 10.1 to 18.6 | <0.001 |
| Hand washing with soap before feeding child (%) | 24.5 | 20.6 | 29.8 | 58.1 | 32.0 | 26.9 to 37.2 | <0.001 |
| Appropriate knowledge on exclusive breast feeding* (%) | 53.7 | 67.5 | 67.3 | 93.5 | 12.4 | 7.2 to 17.6 | <0.001 |
| Correct knowledge of ORS preparation† (%) | 47.4 | 57.2 | 58.2 | 90.7 | 22.9 | 17.4 to 28.4 | <0.001 |
| Under-5 health-related outcomes | |||||||
| Total n | 1214 | 1567 | 1095 | 1370 | |||
| Exclusive breast feeding for at least 6 months (children aged ≥6 and ≤20 months only) (%)‡ | 43.0 | 50.6 | 58.7 | 81.4 | 15.3 | 4.2 to 26.5 | 0.007 |
| Mean duration of exclusive breast feeding (children aged ≤20 months and breast feeding terminated) (days)§ | 93.7 | 109.8 | 112.5 | 166.4 | 37.9 | 17.4 to 58.3 | <0.001 |
| Child illness during the 2 weeks preceding the survey (%) | 25.2 | 26.7 | 27.2 | 22.8 | −5.9 | −10.6 to −1.2 | 0.013 |
| Reported diarrhoea during the 2 weeks preceding the survey (%) | 7.1 | 1.7 | 7.6 | 2.0 | −0.1 | −2.3 to 2.0 | 0.910 |
| Reported ARI during the 2 weeks preceding the survey¶(%) | 8.0 | 13.7 | 14.5 | 8.0 | −12.2 | −15.6 to −8.8 | <0.001 |
| Reported fever during the 2 weeks preceding the survey (%) | 21.6 | 27.5 | 24.0 | 19.3 | −10.5 | −15.1 to −6.0 | <0.001 |
| Mean duration of child illness among those reporting any illness (days) | 5.3 | 3.9 | 5.8 | 3.6 | −0.8 | −1.4 to −0.1 | 0.017 |
| Under-5 reported illness lasting more than 7 days during the 2 weeks preceding the survey (%) | 4.5 | 1.6 | 7.2 | 1.2 | −3.0 | −5.0 to −1.1 | 0.002 |
| Appropriate care-seeking for children reported ill lasting more than 7 days the 2 weeks preceding the survey**(%) | 44.1 | 82.4 | 27.7 | 88.3 | 22.1 | −6.8 to 51.1 | 0.135 |
| Minimum dietary diversity†† (age ≥6 months and ≤23 months) (%) | 40.1 | 57.7 | 51.4 | 57.4 | −11.9 | −22.3 to −1.4 | 0.026 |
| Children aged ≥12 and ≤23 months received full immunisation schedule | 82.4 | 82.8 | 72.9 | 84.6 | 11.4 | −0.3 to 23.1 | 0.056 |
*Respondents demonstrated correct knowledge of the optimal duration of exclusive breast feeding, that is, 6 months. Data missing for 64 cases. No association between missing data and study arm.
†Respondents described the correct components, quantities and preparation of ORS.
‡Children aged >6 and <20 months=281 (control, pre); 239 (intervention, pre); 270 (control, post); 300 (intervention, post). Sixteen cases had missing data on exclusive breast feeding duration. No association between missing data and study arm.
§Children aged <20 months and breast feeding terminated=322 (control, pre); 289 (intervention, pre); 282 (control, post); 287 (intervention, post). Thirty-seven eligible cases had missing data on breast feeding duration. No association between missing data and study arm.
¶ARI in this definition includes reported coughs.
**Respondents sought care from a health facility.
††Minimum dietary diversity score: proportion of children 6–23 months of age who receive food from four or more food groups. Children aged 6−23 months=333 (control, pre); 286 (intervention, pre); 368 (control, post); 387 (intervention, post).
ARI=acute respiratory infection; DID, difference-in-difference estimate; ORS, oral rehydration solution.