The Healthcom Project and the Behavioral Management of Diarrhea

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Abstract
Sixteen million children die annually from causes which are largely preventable. Many of these deaths stem from malnutrition and diarrheal disease. This article presents a model of nutritional health and describes activities of the HEALTHCOM project related to nutritional health promotion and diarrheal disease control in developing countries. Specifically, HEALTHCOM includes a unique combination of communication and behavioral techniques for promoting health. One HEALTHCOM project took place in The Gambia where mass media and behavioral incentives proved a powerful combination in increasing mothers' knowledge of oral rehydration.