Psycho-Education on Feacal Disposal: A Village Experience

Abstract

This study designed a new approach to toilet training in the pursuit of healthy habits and healthful-living practices among the rural communities. The subjects were 100 mother and their infants of six months old from rural communities. The subjects were divided into four groups, 25 were nursing their first infant, 25 their second infant, 25 their third infant and a control group of 25 subjects. The mothers were educated on taking their infant along with them whenever they want to use the toilet and to clean up and wash their hands in the presence of infants. This was continued for eighteen months. The result demonstrated the importance of modeling in behaviour acquisition. Subjects preferred this method of toilet training processes to other methods known and used by them. At 3 years, the practice of using the toilet and hand washing still endured among those infants. This finding has implication for Nigeria children and their caregivers.

Ife Psychologia Vol.13(1) 2005: 227-236