The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
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Social Norms Change - Iron Consumption Increased 315%

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Strategy researched

An intervention to improve descriptive, injunctive, and collective norms featuring educational modules, videos, and feedback on haemoglobin testing

Impact achieved

315% increase in self-reported iron and folic acid consumption in the intervention arm.

Country of study

India

Research methodology

Cluster RCT

Journal

Bulletin of the World Health Organization; 2021

Journal paper title and link

Self-reported iron and folic acid consumption in the intervention arm increased 315%

Excerpt from Abstract

"At follow-up, mean scores in self-reported iron and folic acid consumption in the control arm had decreased from 0.39 to 0.31 (21% decrease; not significant). In the intervention arm, mean scores increased from 0.39 to 1.62 (315% increase; P < 0.001). The difference between the two arms was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Each of the three norms also improved at significantly higher rates in the intervention than in the control arm (P < 0.001 for each norm). Changes in descriptive and collective norms (but not injunctive norms) were associated with changes in self-reported iron and folic acid consumption (P < 0.001 for both norms) ... Our results show that social norms can be improved and that these improvements are associated with positive behavioural changes. A social norms-based approach may help promote iron and folic acid consumption in India."

Summary at this link

 

Comments

Submitted by tturk on Thu, 05/18/2023 - 00:21 Permalink

An important consideration by donors and implementers is if the SBC interventions can be effectively scaled to achieve or reproduce similar results. Therefore, more detail on the degree of resource intensity would provide a better understanding of the potential of the approaches to achieve change at a population level.