Effects of Community Based Nutrition Education Programme on Nutritional Knowledge of Rural Women in Idemili South Local Government Area

The study was undertaken to investigate the effects of community based nutrition education programme on nutritional knowledge of rural women in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. In line with the objectives of the study three research questions and two null hypotheses were postulated. Related literatures were reviewed and summarized. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. The accessible population for the study consisted of all the women in the social clubs in the 7 towns that make up Idemili South Local Government Area. The sample consisted of 204 mothers in all the nine social clubs in the randomly selected nine villages. Data were gathered by means of structured questionnaire. Data obtained were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 15. The research questions were answered using mean gain scores. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test. The finding among others showed that there was a significant difference (p<0.001) in the mean gain nutritional knowledge score of the respondents before and after nutrition education. Based on the findings, conclusions and recommendations were made pertinent among which is the need to include nutrition education programmes in the women annual general meeting and other women gathering in Nigeria. This is intended to expose women to accurate nutrition information which will improve their nutrition knowledge of their families.