Maternal beliefs and practices regarding the diet and use of herbal medicines during measles and diarrhea in rural areas.

Interviews with 208 mothers of children aged under 5 years were conducted in 21 villages of Jaipur District in Rajasthan State, India, to examine the dietary practices concerning food preferences and restrictions during measles and diarrheal disease. The researcher planned to use the findings to design nutrition education programs. 83.2% of the mothers were illiterate. 80% were of low or middle socioeconomic class. 66.4% worked in agriculture or animal husbandry. Preferred foods during diarrhea were khitchri (52.4%), thuli or daliya (48.5%), banana (37.9%), and chhach/curd (21.6%). Restricted foods included roti (69.7%), milk (47.1%), vegetables, chilies, and hot foods. The major herbal medicines used to cure diarrhea were isabgol ke bhusi mixed with curd (31.3%) and extracts of tea leaves, ajwain, sonth, peepla mul, black pepper, and tulsi leaves (14.4%). Preferred foods during measles were kishmish/munakka (38.5%), khitchri/rabdi of bajra (35.6%), daliya (25%), and cow's milk (23.1%). Restricted foods included roti (62.5%), all dals except moong dal (59.1%), and vegetables (42.8%). The leading herbal medicines used to treat measles were a mixture of nutmeg, mace, clove, tulsi leaves, and kishmish (26.9%) and a mixture of nutmeg, mace, clove, tulsi leaves, and brahmi (25.5%). The mothers believed that herbal medicines save their children's lives. These findings indicate the need to consider beliefs about culturally accepted and restricted foods when designing a nutritional and health education program.