Vol. 2, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Background: Parental knowledge and health literacy are critical determinants of child health outcomes, particularly in low-resource settings where access to health services is limited. Empowering parents through structured community health education can significantly enhance preventive health behaviors and reduce child morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured community health education program in improving parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to child health and its effect on key child health outcomes, including immunization coverage, diarrheal illness prevalence, and timely care-seeking behaviors.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed involving 300 parents of children under five years, equally divided into intervention and comparison groups. The intervention consisted of four weekly interactive health education sessions delivered by trained community health workers. Data were collected at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at three-month follow-up using pre-tested questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including difference-in-differences, risk differences, risk ratios, and permutation tests, were applied to assess changes in outcomes.

Results: Parental KAP scores increased significantly in the intervention group compared to the comparison group, with sustained improvements at follow-up. Immunization coverage improved by 10 percentage points, while diarrheal prevalence declined by 4.7 percentage points at follow-up. Timely care-seeking behavior increased by 21.3 percentage points in the intervention group compared to baseline. All between-group differences were statistically significant.

Conclusion: Structured community health education effectively empowers parents, resulting in sustained improvements in child health outcomes. Integrating such interventions into primary health care systems can strengthen preventive health services, enhance parental engagement, and contribute to reducing preventable childhood illnesses. Scaling up community-based educational strategies, supported by trained health workers and culturally adapted materials, can offer a cost-effective and sustainable pathway to improve child health and achieve broader public health goals.