This project focused on the use of Motivational Interviewing techniques to achieve long term behavior change and the adoption of healthier lifestyles. This study represents the first time that this method had been used in the developing world, and its goal was to teach people about water sanitation to prevent water bourne disease.
Training sessions were used to inform nurses and health care workers, educational materials were used in homes to show the use of treated stored water, and the washing of hands and utensils. In Motivational Interviewing, nurses visit individual homes once a week to monitor progress and attitudes of the people towards the introduced methods.
Water bourne disease, diarrhea, communication techniques
As this was the first use of the technique in a developing world, there were problems encountered, but there have been very positive results on previous projects in the developed world. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a "client-centred directive intervention focused on resolving ambivalence in the direction of change. The helper is active and states opinion, but the final decision for behavioral change is made by the individual.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Medical University of South Carolina - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Thevos, Angelica K. MSW, Ph.D. Interim Trip Report - Behavior Change Intervention, Point-of-Use Disinfection and Safe Storage for the Prevention of Diarrhea, Kitwe, Zambia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Foodborne and Diarrheal Diseases Branch, Atlanta Georgia, USA. 05/16/98