Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the impact of a peer facilitator (PF) approach for improving mothers’ knowledge and practices relating to maternal and child nutrition. Design: A quasi-experimental design nested within a large-scale integrated nutrition programme, Suaahara, in Nepal. Suaahara interventions were implemented in all study sites, but peer facilitators were used in only half of the study sites. Setting: Rural, disadvantaged villages in three districts of Nepal: Bhojpur, Bajhang and Rupandehi. Subjects: Mothers of children aged 6–23·9 months (n 1890). Results: Differences over time between comparison (C) and intervention (I) groups show that the PF approach had a significant positive impact on several indicators of mothers’ knowledge and practices relating to maternal and child nutrition: (i) knowing that fruits and vegetables are good for children 6–23·9 months (C: −0·7, I: 10·6; P=0·03); (ii) child dietary diversity (C: 0·02, I: 0·04; P=0·02); (iii) child minimum dietary diversity (≥4 of 7 food groups; (C: 6·9, I: 16·0; P=0·02); (iv) maternal dietary diversity (C: 0·1, I: 0·4; P=0·01); and (v) maternal minimum dietary diversity (≥4 food groups; C: 3·6, I: 14·0; P=0·03). Additionally, exposure to a PF three or more times in the past 6 months was positively associated with a small improvement in maternal (β=0·06, P=0·04) and child (β=0·06, P=0·02) dietary diversity scores. Improvements were not observed in maternal health-seeking behaviours such as number of antenatal care visits. Conclusions: Peer mobilization is a potential approach for improving health- and nutrition-related knowledge and behaviours among women in hard-to-reach communities of Nepal.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-11 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Public Health Nutrition |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Nov 6 2017 |
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Keywords
- Child nutrition
- Hard-to-reach
- Infant and young child feeding
- Maternal nutrition
- Peer mobilization
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cite this
Improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition in Nepal via peer mobilization. / Singh, Akriti; Klemm, Rolf; Mundy, Gary; Pandey Rana, Pooja; Pun, Bhim; Cunningham, Kenda.
In: Public Health Nutrition, 06.11.2017, p. 1-11.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition in Nepal via peer mobilization
AU - Singh, Akriti
AU - Klemm, Rolf
AU - Mundy, Gary
AU - Pandey Rana, Pooja
AU - Pun, Bhim
AU - Cunningham, Kenda
PY - 2017/11/6
Y1 - 2017/11/6
N2 - Objective: To evaluate the impact of a peer facilitator (PF) approach for improving mothers’ knowledge and practices relating to maternal and child nutrition. Design: A quasi-experimental design nested within a large-scale integrated nutrition programme, Suaahara, in Nepal. Suaahara interventions were implemented in all study sites, but peer facilitators were used in only half of the study sites. Setting: Rural, disadvantaged villages in three districts of Nepal: Bhojpur, Bajhang and Rupandehi. Subjects: Mothers of children aged 6–23·9 months (n 1890). Results: Differences over time between comparison (C) and intervention (I) groups show that the PF approach had a significant positive impact on several indicators of mothers’ knowledge and practices relating to maternal and child nutrition: (i) knowing that fruits and vegetables are good for children 6–23·9 months (C: −0·7, I: 10·6; P=0·03); (ii) child dietary diversity (C: 0·02, I: 0·04; P=0·02); (iii) child minimum dietary diversity (≥4 of 7 food groups; (C: 6·9, I: 16·0; P=0·02); (iv) maternal dietary diversity (C: 0·1, I: 0·4; P=0·01); and (v) maternal minimum dietary diversity (≥4 food groups; C: 3·6, I: 14·0; P=0·03). Additionally, exposure to a PF three or more times in the past 6 months was positively associated with a small improvement in maternal (β=0·06, P=0·04) and child (β=0·06, P=0·02) dietary diversity scores. Improvements were not observed in maternal health-seeking behaviours such as number of antenatal care visits. Conclusions: Peer mobilization is a potential approach for improving health- and nutrition-related knowledge and behaviours among women in hard-to-reach communities of Nepal.
AB - Objective: To evaluate the impact of a peer facilitator (PF) approach for improving mothers’ knowledge and practices relating to maternal and child nutrition. Design: A quasi-experimental design nested within a large-scale integrated nutrition programme, Suaahara, in Nepal. Suaahara interventions were implemented in all study sites, but peer facilitators were used in only half of the study sites. Setting: Rural, disadvantaged villages in three districts of Nepal: Bhojpur, Bajhang and Rupandehi. Subjects: Mothers of children aged 6–23·9 months (n 1890). Results: Differences over time between comparison (C) and intervention (I) groups show that the PF approach had a significant positive impact on several indicators of mothers’ knowledge and practices relating to maternal and child nutrition: (i) knowing that fruits and vegetables are good for children 6–23·9 months (C: −0·7, I: 10·6; P=0·03); (ii) child dietary diversity (C: 0·02, I: 0·04; P=0·02); (iii) child minimum dietary diversity (≥4 of 7 food groups; (C: 6·9, I: 16·0; P=0·02); (iv) maternal dietary diversity (C: 0·1, I: 0·4; P=0·01); and (v) maternal minimum dietary diversity (≥4 food groups; C: 3·6, I: 14·0; P=0·03). Additionally, exposure to a PF three or more times in the past 6 months was positively associated with a small improvement in maternal (β=0·06, P=0·04) and child (β=0·06, P=0·02) dietary diversity scores. Improvements were not observed in maternal health-seeking behaviours such as number of antenatal care visits. Conclusions: Peer mobilization is a potential approach for improving health- and nutrition-related knowledge and behaviours among women in hard-to-reach communities of Nepal.
KW - Child nutrition
KW - Hard-to-reach
KW - Infant and young child feeding
KW - Maternal nutrition
KW - Peer mobilization
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85033373076&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1368980017002993
DO - 10.1017/S1368980017002993
M3 - Article
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Public Health Nutrition
JF - Public Health Nutrition
SN - 1368-9800
ER -