The mPower (Mother’s Power) Initiative: Improving Health Behavior Through Peer Support and Health Literacy for Mothers of Children with Cerebral Palsy in Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Cerebral palsy (CP) affects a substantial number of children, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh. Maternal health literacy is critical to the health and well-being of children with CP, particularly in low-resource settings. In this study, we sought to assess how the mPower (mother’s power) community-based intervention impacted mothers’ CP-specific knowledge, as well as their utilization of rehabilitation services in rural Bangladesh. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a group of mothers of children with CP, formed through the ongoing initiatives of the Bangladesh CP Register in rural Bangladesh. A pre-post-intervention comparison method was used to assess the outcomes of the intervention. Results: Mothers who participated in over two-thirds of the mPower sessions demonstrated a significant increase in CP-related knowledge (75.5% vs. 63.6%, p = 0.04). Additionally, mothers who attended two-thirds of the mPower sessions utilized rehabilitation services more often compared to those who attended fewer sessions (55.3% vs. 22.6%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The mPower intervention successfully improved health literacy and likely increased rehabilitation service utilization among mothers of children with CP in rural Bangladesh.