Evidence: Women's Groups Practising Participatory Learning and Action to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health in Low-Resource Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Women's Groups Practising Participatory Learning and Action to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health in Low-Resource Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Name(s) of author(s)?:
Audrey Prost, Tim Colbourn, Nadine Seward, Kishwar Azad, Arri Coomarasamy, Andrew Copas, Tanja A J Houweling, Edward Fottrell,Abdul Kuddus, Sonia Lewycka, Christine macarthur, Dharma Manandhar, Joanna Morrison, Charles Mwansambo, Nirmala Nair, Bejoy Nambiar, David Osrin, Christina Pagel, Tambosi Phiri, Anni-Maria Pulkki-brännstrom, Mikey Rosato, Jolene Skordis-Worrall, Naomi Saville, Neena Shah More, Bhim Shrestha, Prasanta Tripathy, Amie Wilson, Anthony Costello
Who published this paper, article, book (chapter) or other publication?:
The Lancet 381.9879 (2013): 1736-1746
What are the best extracts that highlight the evidence for the impact of a communication for development, social change, behaviour change, public engagement, or informed citizen strategy on a development issue and priority?:
Exposure to women's groups was associated with a 23% non-significant reduction in maternal mortality and a 20% significant reduction in neonatal mortality. Results of meta-regression analyses indicated that the proportion of pregnant women participating in groups was linearly associated with reduction of both maternal and neonatal mortality. In high-coverage studies (≥30% of pregnant women participating in women's groups), exposure to women's groups was associated with a 49% reduction in maternal mortality and a 33% reduction in neonatal mortality. No effects were noted in the low coverage studies (<30% participation) for any of the birth outcomes. In three of four south Asian trials in which the behavioural mechanisms were reported, women's groups showed strong (including significant and non-significant) effects on clean delivery practices for home deliveries (especially handwashing and use of clean delivery kits), and noticeable effects on breastfeeding (early initiation and EBF). The intervention was cost effective by WHO standards and could save an estimated 283 000 newborn infants and 36 600 mothers per year if implemented in rural areas of 74 Countdown countries.
To which development issue does this evidence and impact data relate?:
Maternal and Newborn Health
To which strategic approach(es) does the evidence and impact data relate?:
community mobilization through participatory women’s groups
What research methodology (ies) was/were used to produce this evidence and impact data?:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials undertaken in Bangladesh, India, Malawi, and Nepal to study the effects of women's groups practicing participatory learning and action and the cost-effectiveness of women's groups intervention
What is the URL to access this paper, article, book (chapter) or other publication?:
Why was this research evidence found to be useful?:
At-scale, global work in different contexts
Participating organisations in the Global Alliance for Social and Behaviour Change - Building Informed and Engaged Societies were asked to identify, in their opinion, the 5 most compelling research and evaluation studies that demonstrate the direct impact of this field of work on a major development issue. This was one of the nominees. For the full compiled list, please click here. For the compilation of the key impact data across all research evidence identified, please click here.