“In the past, the seeds I planted often didn’t grow.” A mixed-methods feasibility assessment of integrating agriculture and nutrition behaviour change interventions with cash transfers in rural Bangladesh
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“In the past, the seeds I planted often didn’t grow.” A mixed-methods feasibility assessment of integrating agriculture and nutrition behaviour change interventions with cash transfers in rural Bangladesh. / Alam, Ashraful; Khatun, Wajiha; Khanam, Mansura; Ara, Gulshan; Bokshi, Anowarul; Li, Mu; Dibley, Michael J.
In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 17, No. 11, 4153, 2020.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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T1 - “In the past, the seeds I planted often didn’t grow.” A mixed-methods feasibility assessment of integrating agriculture and nutrition behaviour change interventions with cash transfers in rural Bangladesh
AU - Alam, Ashraful
AU - Khatun, Wajiha
AU - Khanam, Mansura
AU - Ara, Gulshan
AU - Bokshi, Anowarul
AU - Li, Mu
AU - Dibley, Michael J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Combining agriculture with behaviour change communication and other nutrition-sensitive interventions could improve feeding practices to reduce maternal and child undernutrition. Such integrated intervention requires rigorous design and an appropriate implementation strategy to generate an impact. We assessed feasibility and acceptability of an intervention package that combines nutrition counselling, counselling and support for home-gardening, and unconditional cash transfers delivered to women on a mobile platform for improving maternal and child nutrition behaviours among low-income families in rural Bangladesh. We used mixed-methods including in-depth interviews with women (20), key-informant interviews with project workers (6), and a cross sectional survey of women (60). Women well-accepted the intervention and reported to be benefited by acquiring new skills and information on home gardening and nutrition. They established homestead gardens of seasonal vegetables successfully and were able to find a solution for major challenges. All women received the cash transfer. Ninety-one percent of women spent the cash for buying foods, 20% spent it on purchasing seeds or fertilizers and 57% used it for medical and livelihood purchases. Project staff and mobile banking agent reported no difficulty in cash transfer. Combining nutrition-specific and-sensitive interventions is a feasible and acceptable approach. Using mobile technologies can provide additional benefits for the intervention to reach the disadvantage families in rural settings.
AB - Combining agriculture with behaviour change communication and other nutrition-sensitive interventions could improve feeding practices to reduce maternal and child undernutrition. Such integrated intervention requires rigorous design and an appropriate implementation strategy to generate an impact. We assessed feasibility and acceptability of an intervention package that combines nutrition counselling, counselling and support for home-gardening, and unconditional cash transfers delivered to women on a mobile platform for improving maternal and child nutrition behaviours among low-income families in rural Bangladesh. We used mixed-methods including in-depth interviews with women (20), key-informant interviews with project workers (6), and a cross sectional survey of women (60). Women well-accepted the intervention and reported to be benefited by acquiring new skills and information on home gardening and nutrition. They established homestead gardens of seasonal vegetables successfully and were able to find a solution for major challenges. All women received the cash transfer. Ninety-one percent of women spent the cash for buying foods, 20% spent it on purchasing seeds or fertilizers and 57% used it for medical and livelihood purchases. Project staff and mobile banking agent reported no difficulty in cash transfer. Combining nutrition-specific and-sensitive interventions is a feasible and acceptable approach. Using mobile technologies can provide additional benefits for the intervention to reach the disadvantage families in rural settings.
KW - Bangladesh
KW - Feasibility study
KW - MHealth
KW - Mixed-methods
KW - Nutrition behaviour change
KW - Nutrition-sensitive agriculture
KW - Social safety net
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph17114153
DO - 10.3390/ijerph17114153
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32532096
AN - SCOPUS:85086370298
VL - 17
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
SN - 1661-7827
IS - 11
M1 - 4153
ER -
ID: 324272085