Evaluation of a Multiple Behaviour Programme for Diarrhoea Management
Condition: Diarrhoeal Disease
MeSH terms: Diarrhea
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Control of diarrhoeal disease requires a comprehensive package of preventive and curative
      interventions. in Zambia, the Programme for Awareness and Elimination of Diarrhoea (PAED)
      aims to reduce child deaths by combating diarrhoea in Lusaka province, Zambia. The behaviour
      change component of the PAED programme seeks to change behaviours important for diarrhoea
      prevention (handwashing with soap and exclusive breastfeeding) and improved treatment
      outcomes (use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc in home management of child
      diarrhoea).

      The study aims to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a multiple behaviour change
      community programme to tackle diarrhoeal disease in children under-five and to assess the
      impact of this programme on practice of the target behaviours by caregivers of children
      under-five. The research questions will be answered through a a two-arm cluster-randomised
      trial (eight clusters per study arm).
    

Detailed description: 
      Specific objectives of the study are as follows:

        -  Evaluate the effect of the programme on ORS and zinc uptake and usage, exclusive
           breastfeeding and handwashing with soap (primary objective)

        -  Determine the extent to which the programme has positively influenced key mediating
           factors that determine behaviour (i.e. social norms, physical infrastructure, attitudes,
           and disease and treatment perceptions)

        -  Investigate which components of the community programme (i.e. specific activities in
           clinics, community events etc.) are linked to the success of the programme (most
           acceptable, feasible etc) and in what context

           o Validate model of intervention theory that explains how the context and mechanisms of
           the intervention interact to produce behavioural outcomes

        -  Determine which target populations are more likely to uptake the desired behaviours and
           identify the supporting factors that might explain this

        -  Conduct process evaluation to assess i) if the programme has been implemented as
           intended, ii) if the desired levels of reach and coverage have been achieved, iii) costs
           of implementation, iv) the extent to which changes in behaviour are likely to be due to
           the intervention.
    

Intervention name(s): Community behaviour change campaign
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Community campaign targeting exclusive breastfeeding, handwashing with soap, and use of ORS and zinc to manage child diarrhoea. Includes a range of activities within the community (large events and small group sessions); clinic activities (ORS preparation), radio adverts.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: behaviour change; diarrhoeal disease; handwashing; breastfeeding; diarrhoea management