EFFECTS OF MOTHER’S LITERACY ON CHILD HEALTH ASSESSED BY PERSONAL HYGIENE, NUTRITIONAL AND VACCINATION STATUS

Authors

  • Junaid Zeb Department of Surgery, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad
  • Muhammad Zeeshan Student, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad
  • Muhammad Kamal Department of Community Medicine, Women Medical College, Abbottabad, Pakistan
  • Maaz Saleem Student, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad
  • M. Tariq Shah Student, Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69656/pjp.v13i1.260

Keywords:

literacy, health, hygiene, nutrition, vaccination, immunization, mother, child, status, stunting

Abstract

Background: In Pakistan, literacy means ‘the ability to read and write’. Mother’s education is a stronger determinant of child survivorship. This study was carried out in order to determine the impact of mother’s literacy on child health in terms of personal hygiene of child, nutritional status and vaccination status, and to compare the child health status of literate and non-literate mothers. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study carried out in Paediatric Unit, Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, from Dec 2015 to Aug 2016. Data was collected using non probability sampling and analysed on SPSS-21. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for categorical variables like gender, residence, education, immunization and hygiene status, and Mean±SD were calculated for quantitative variables like age. Results: Among total 160 children, mothers of 48 (30%) children were completely uneducated. Nutrition status showed that 89 (55.6%) were of normal height for age while rest of them were having stunting of mild to severe categories. Immunization of 135 (84.4%) of the children was done as per their age. Regarding hygiene, clothing of 129 (80.6%) was clean, nails of 95 (59.4%) children were properly clean and trimmed, while hair hygiene of 119 (74.4%) children and dental hygiene of 109 (68.12%) children was well maintained. Majority of those whose immunization, nutrition, and hygiene status was maintained had educated mothers. Conclusion: Maternal literacy has a direct effect on the overall child health with respect to personal hygiene, nutritional and vaccination status.

Pak J Physiol 2017;13(1):22–5

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References

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Published

31-03-2017

How to Cite

1.
Zeb J, Zeeshan M, Kamal M, Saleem M, Shah MT. EFFECTS OF MOTHER’S LITERACY ON CHILD HEALTH ASSESSED BY PERSONAL HYGIENE, NUTRITIONAL AND VACCINATION STATUS. Pak J Phsyiol [Internet]. 2017 Mar. 31 [cited 2024 Nov. 23];13(1):22-5. Available from: https://pjp.pps.org.pk/index.php/PJP/article/view/260

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 1 (2017): Pakistan Journal of Physiology

Section

Original Article

License

Pakistan Journal of Physiology, Pak J Physiol, PJP is FREE for research and academic purposes. It can be freely downloaded and stored, printed, presented, projected, cited and quoted with full reference of, and acknowledgement to the author(s) and the PJP. The contents are published with an international CC-BY-ND-4.0 License.