FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH SAFE PREPARATION AND HOME-USE OF SUGAR-SALT SOLUTION

The use of oral rehydration salts is frustratingly low, mostly because one must visit a health care provider to procure the packets. Mothers are advised to use sugar-salt solution (SSS) and other home-based flu ids as first fluid replacement during diarrhoea. However, the use rate of SSS is also not encouraging and few mothers can prepare it correct ly. We conducted an observation study on mothers who reported to the d iarrhoea treatment centre of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal D isease Research, Bangladesh during September 1990 through to December 1992. At quarterly intervals, 240 mothers were recruited randomly to e licit their knowledge and ability to prepare SSS. Most (94.6%) of the mothers knew about the solution, but only 62% of them used the solutio n at home. The use rate was higher when mothers came to know about the solution through interpersonal communication (e.g. community health w orkers, doctors, friends, neighbours and relatives) and from multiple sources (72%) than when they learned about it from the media or from a single source (54%). As many as 85.4% of the mothers could prepare th e solution within the safe limits of sodium concentrations (30 to 100 mmol/l). The figure rose to 95.8% after practical instruction as to ho w to prepare the solution. This improvement was dependent neither on t he literacy level of mothers nor on their knowledge and use of the sol ution earlier. To increase interpersonal communication and to improve mothers' behaviour in using and correctly preparing SSS, every contact with health care providers should be utilised for organising sessions on the use and preparation of the solution.