Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a ‘health
promotional’ intervention by lay people in
changing determinants of low birth weight, when
added to the existing package of antenatal care
provision.
Method: A quasi-experimental study design was
used. An intervention was carried out among 403
pregnant women and their partners. Intervention
group (IG) was recruited from participants registered
to routine field antenatal services in the
Anuradhapura district. A comparison group (CG) of
403 pregnant women and their partners was
recruited from an adjacent district. Both groups were
recruited in the first trimester of pregnancy. The
intervention was based on health promotion
principles and used a model previously piloted in Sri
Lanka. Data from the Child Health Development
Record (CHDR) available at the health clinic were
used to determine birth weights.
Results: Significant improvements were seen in the
IG, compared to the CG, in the care given to the
pregnant mothers by their families, and level of
control over identified determinants of low birth
weight (LBW). The prevalence of LBW in the IG
was 10.0% and in the CG 19.2%. (X2=12.465;
p<0.001) with an adjusted OR of 0.5 (95% CI; 0.2-
0.8) and mean birth weight in the IG 2987g and in
the CG 2772.4g (t=6.934; df=726; p<0.001).
___________________________________
1Senior Lecturer in Health Promotion, Faculty of
Applied Sciences, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka,
2Associate Professor in Community
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 3Professor in Community
Medicine, Head, Department of Community
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Colombo, Sri Lanka
*Correspondence:
[email protected]
(Received on 16 October 2017: Accepted after
revision on 24 November 2017)
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of
interest
Funding for the study was provided by the Higher
Education for Twenty First Century (HETC)
project, Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka.
Open Access Article published under the Creative
Commons Attribution CC-BY License
Conclusion: The community centred health
promotion intervention model was effective in
enabling lay communities to change selected
determinants of LBW and enabled lay communities
to change determinants of LBW.
