Abstract
Improvements in nutritional knowledge and attitudes and nutritional status were found in the rural Nutribus areas surveyed. Feeding standards improved, as measured by the mothers’ reports of what they fed children. In 1979 mothers in the VTRL villages were 55 per cent more likely to describe complete meals than those in the villages of the comparison group. Mothers in the VTRL villages were 473 per cent more likely to name Nutri-Pak as a good snack and 71 per cent more likely to give correct specific descriptions of Nutri-Pak than the BNS village mothers (fig. 2). Mothers in 1981 were 27 per cent more likely to describe complete meals (fig. 5) than those inter viewed in 1979.
As for nutritional status, in 1979 there was 25 per cent less third” and second-degree malnutrition among children of the VTRL villages than among those of the BNS villages and 29 per cent more first-degree malnutrition and normal nutritional status, using the Harvard standards for weight for age and the Gomez classification (fig. 4). Comparison of the nutritional status results of 1979 and 1981 shows a 17 per cent decrease in third- and second-degree malnutrition and a 12 per cent increase in first-degree malnutrition and normal status (fig. 7).
Evidence from the 1979 and 1981 evaluation of the Nutri-bus project favours the assumption of its effectiveness. It also reinforces the recognized need for improvements in the field management system, videotape production efficiency, and Nutri-Pak distribution system. The Nutrition Center of the Philippines has committed itself to the continuing development and evaluation of the Nutri-bus project.