Assessment of knowledge and practices of Anganwadi workers about integrated child development scheme services in rural Assam

Background and aims: The Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) was initiated in response to the evident problems of persistent hunger and malnutrition, especially among children under the age of 6 years. The Anganwadi workers (AWW) are the most important functionary of the ICDS scheme. The present study aims to assess the knowledge and practices of the AWWs about ICDS services and to find out the relationship between them. The study also determines the association between knowledge and practices and socio-demographic variables. Materials and methods: A descriptive quantitative study was conducted in the Kamalpur-Rangia ICDS project. The investigators selected a sample of 70 AWWs using a multistage random sampling technique. A self-structured, self-administered questionnaire and an observational checklist were developed to collect necessary data and analysed and interpreted using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Out of 70 AWWs, the majority had moderately adequate knowledge (58.57%), and the majority had average practice (71.43%) regarding ICDS services. The study results showed a weak positive correlation between the knowledge and practices (r=0.631, p<.00001) of AWWs about ICDS services. The results also revealed a significant association between knowledge and socio-demographic variables like age, education and working experience. In the practice case, the socio-demographic variables, i.e., age and education, showed significant association with the practices of AWWs regarding ICDS services. Conclusions: The study concluded that as the majority of the AWWs have moderately adequate knowledge and average practice, attention should be given to strengthening the training quality provided to the AWWs to improve their knowledge and practices regarding ICDS services, which will lead to the achievement of the goals of ICDS scheme.