Sisimpur is an educational television programme designed for Bangladeshi children between the ages of 3 and 7 years old. Designed by Sesame Workshop, the programme is supported by the Government of Bangladesh and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Sisimpur's messages are also featured in community outreach materials designed in partnership with Nayantara Communications, a Bangladesh company, for use in a variety of settings, including early childcare centres, pre-schools, kindergartens, and homes. The kits, which contain books, games, flash cards, and growth charts, are distributed to caregivers from low-income households through a series of 3 workshops conducted by specialised trainers from 12 non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

To evaluate the impact of Kit 1 (distributed in November 2005) researchers examined differences among control and intervention groups in health, hygiene, and nutrition outcomes using bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regressions. The sample comprised a total of 1,801 participants: 600 caregivers and 600 children in the intervention group, and 301 caregivers and 300 children in the control group. Data were collected from 4 sites where Sisimpur outreach training occurred: an urban location (Dhaka) and three rural locations. In addition, one-on-one interviews were conducted with 20 caregivers in the intervention group and 5 trainers who conducted training workshops. Household observations were also completed in 150 homes (100 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group).

All findings are significant at p < .05:

Compared with non-participants, caregivers who participated in the outreach programme were:

• 8.4 times more likely to own a toothbrush at home
• 5.3 times more likely to own toothpaste at home
• 4.0 times more likely to use a toothpaste to clean teeth
• 3.8 times more likely to use toothbrush to clean teeth
• 2.1 times more likely to have soap in the home
• 2.1 times more likely to have a clean towel in the home
• 4.4 times more likely to wash their hands with soap before having a meal
• 2.1 times more likely to bathe 7 times or more a week
• 3.0 times more likely to bathe with soap 4 times or more a week

Compared with non-participants, children of caregivers who participated were:

• 8.6 times more likely to use a toothbrush to clean teeth
• 5.0 times more likely to use toothpaste to clean teeth
• 7.8 times more likely to clean teeth more than once a day
• 2.8 times more likely to clean teeth after a meal
• 10.9 times more likely to clean teeth at night
• 8.0 times more likely to use soap to wash hands before a meal
• 4.6 times more likely to use soap to wash hands after defecation
• 3.0 times more likely to comb hair more than once a day
• 3.0 times more likely to eat eggs daily
• 3.0 times more likely to drink milk at least once a week

An Evaluation of the Educational Impact of the Sisimpur Community Outreach Project [PDF].