![]() | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Lead is the major pollutant for air, earth, water, and foods so it has a great effect on the human health especially children under five years. It’s known as a silent environmental health problem which can have life-long adverse health effects common in children. Aim: Examine the effect of an educational intervention on control of lead pollution among children under 5 years. Design: quasi experimental design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at Ezbet- Elwalda district in Helwan City, Cairo governorate, Egypt, since it was the largest slum in population number, with high arithmetic exposure to lead. Sampling: Cluster sample was used to select homes with the assistance of the village map obtained from the Office of Health at Ezbet-Elwalda. Sample size: 384 mothers of children under five years were selected. Tools: I) An interview questionnaire, included, demographic characteristics, mother’s knowledge, mothers’ reported health habits towards cleaning the house and habits that increase lead pollution, reported children’s nutritional habits, and frequency of weekly nutrients affecting lead absorption intake. II) Observational checklist for the indoor and outdoor environment of the house. Results of the study denoted that there was an improvement of mothers total knowledge score at the post and retention–test, than the pre–test, with statistically significant difference. About fifty percent (49%) of mothers had fair level score habits which increased to 95.3% at the immediate and retention–test. Also there is improvement in the reported children’s nutritional habits at the post and retention – test, than that of the pre – test. In addition the study referred to improvement in the reported frequency of children intake per week of different nutrients affecting lead absorption at the post and retention – test, than that of pre – test with highly statistical significant. Most of the reported child’s bad habits that increased lead pollution were changed at the post and retention – test, than that of pre – test. Conclusion: Improvement in mothers’ knowledge and reported habits at the post and retention – test than that of pre – test, with statistical significant differences. Recommendation: Organizing health education campaigns to visit slum areas, to prevent lead pollution through posters and mother classes; designing a health educational program for fathers whose jobs put them in contact with lead elements about how to protect themselves and their families from lead pollution; and further studies needed to be performed with different variables, subjects and different settings. |