Making healthy baby contests more objective.

ABSTRACT

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the objectivity of the criteria chosen to judge a healthy baby contest. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study design. SETTING: Urban Health Centre, Pune. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 998 children attending twelve anganwadis, who were screened preliminarily, 32 were chosen for the healthy baby contest. The contest was assessed using a specified scoring system in which due weightage was given to personal hygiene, growth, development, immunisation status and mother's knowledge about nutrition and vaccination. RESULTS: There was a significant intraobserver correlation (rs = 0.85, p < 0.05) and intraobserver correlation (rs = 0.92, p < 0.05). The scores were age independent. CONCLUSIONS: The criteria chosen were objective in nature. The objectivity of the criteria can make the assessment of the participants more unbiased, quick and easy. The results of the contests can be explained more easily and are more readily accepted. Thus, the healthy baby contests can be made more successful.