AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION FOR PREVENTIN G DEHYDRATION DUE TO DIARRHEAL DISEASE IN TLAPACOYAN, MEXICO

Objectives. To deliver an educational intervention to teach mothers se lf-care measures to manage children's diarrhea and dehydration. Materi al and methods. A controlled community trial intervention was designed (with control group) consisting of 180 mothers of children aged under five. The study was conducted in the city of Tlapacoyan, Veracruz, Me xico. Differences were measured for 17 main concepts and compared betw een the experimental group and the control group. Comparisons before a nd after the intervention were controlled for mother's age, education and previous training. Results. All 17 concepts showed per cent change s that ranged between 30% and 100% for the intervention group, and bet ween 13% to 41% for the control group. Chi-square values were used to test statistical significance, to ensure that differences were due to the intervention and not to chance. Conclusions. A multichannel educat ional intervention is a culturally sensitive intervention that shows b etter results than a face-to-face intervention. It should be used for those groups that are at high risk of death due to dehydration associa ted to diarrhea, even when oral rehydration salts are available.