Abstract

Traditionally, mothers provide banana to their neonates as well as discharge their colostrum prior to breastfeeding, increasing the risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Health education modules, based on ethnographic study, to discourage these detrimental practices were developed for use by community leaders. Two thousand six hundred and seventy neonates were followed from birth to 28 days. Overall, neonatal banana feeding decreased 18.3% and colostrum feeding increased 32.8%. Religious leaders, who had strong community influence, had the highest health module execution. Moreover, their influence on the community was important. Overall, the use of ethnographic study data to identify specific cues to action of individuals in a community, such as community religious leaders, is an effective and appropriate method for reducing the detrimental customs of both early solid-food feeding of banana and colostrum discharge prior to breast-feeding, positively affecting community perinatal morbidity and mortality.

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