Planned Teaching to Improve Mothers’ Knowledge of Urinary Tract Infection Prevention in Girls Aged 2 to 8 Years: A Theory-Informed Study Protocol

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are an important cause of childhood morbidity. In young children, symptoms may be non-specific, complicating timely clinical assessment. Mothers have an important role in supporting age-appropriate hygiene, toileting and hydration practices. This theory-informed study protocol outlines an approach to evaluating a planned teaching programme on mothers’ knowledge of UTI prevention in girls aged 2 to 8 years at Irinjalakuda Taluk Head Quarters Hospital, Thrissur, India. The proposed assessment sequence includes a baseline knowledge assessment, structured teaching supported by visual materials and reassessment using the same questionnaire. Four objectives address baseline knowledge, programme development and implementation, knowledge gain, and associations with selected maternal demographic characteristics. Von Bertalanffy’s General Systems Theory provides the conceptual framework: mothers’ characteristics and baseline knowledge represent input; education and assessment activities represent process; and knowledge gain is the anticipated output. Contemporary studies indicate that caregiver education can improve prevention-related knowledge, although higher test scores do not demonstrate a reduction in clinically confirmed infections. A credible evaluation requires clearly defined sampling and intervention procedures, appropriate ethical safeguards, and analysis of authentic pretest and post-test data. The primary intended outcome is improved maternal knowledge rather than a demonstrated reduction in UTI incidence.