The effect of mothers education program based on the precede model on the mean weight in children (6-12 months) at health centers in Shiraz, Fars Province

BACKGROUND Growth retardation in children is a result of nutritional ignorance, inappropriate care, and inadequate monitoring of growth monitoring. This study was performed to assess the effect of mothers education program based on the precede model on the mean weight of children (6-12 months) at health centers in Shiraz, Fars Province. METHODS This quasi experimental study was conducted on 120 mothers (60 in the experimental and 60 in the control group) with single child and exclusively on breast feeding who were cared by health centers in Shiraz, Fars province. The data were gathered through a questionnaire which included demographic characteristics, the components of the precede model (knowledge, attitude, enabling as well as reinforcing factors, and maternal function) and child weight. Educational intervention was performed during 6 sessions each of which lasted for 55 to 60 minutes. The questionnaire was completed by the experiment a land control group before and 4 months after the training program. RESULTS The results showed that the educational intervention program in the experimental group caused significant increase in the means of knowledge (p<0.001) and attitude scores (p<0.001). This study showed that enabling and reinforcing factors (and training sessions), performance score of mothers as well as weight of children among experimental group were significantly higher than control group (p=0.01). CONCLUSION The results of this study can be used as a guideline prevents growth retardation in health centers and other related organizations.