Conditional Cash Transfers in the Amazon: From the Nutrition Transition to Complex Dietary Behavior Change

ABSTRACT

Nutrition transition theory describes a progressive substitution of local staples for industrialized processed foods in local diets, a process documented diversely across world regions, and increasingly observed in rural areas of the global south. Here we examine the role of conditional cash transfer programs, in particular the emblematic Brazilian Bolsa Família (BFP), in driving nutritional transition in rural areas of the Amazon. Based on ethnographic research with both participating and nonparticipating women in the Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR), our analysis integrates Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ), seasonal 24-hour food intake recalls, and stable isotope ratios in fingernails to examine dietary behavioral change. Contrary to dietary changes observed elsewhere in the Amazon, participation in the BFP is not associated with a significant substitution of local staples for industrialized processed foods in Amanã. While an increase in the consumption of some industrialized foods was observed, it has been selective and it has not changed the structure of diets. Factors such as social and cultural value of local staples, resident’s involvement with the SDR, their relationship with lake and upland forest and agricultural environments, and limited market access have buffered the expansion of industrialized processed foods as observed elsewhere.     

Encouraging use of prenatal care through conditional cash transfers: Evidence from JUNTOS in Peru

We use a difference‐in‐differences strategy to estimate the effects of JUNTOS, a conditional cash transfer program targeted to poor rural households in Peru, on use of prenatal care. Using data from the Peruvian Demographic and Health Surveys over the period 2000–2011, we find that JUNTOS increased prenatal care utilization among program‐eligible women. Even more, we find positive effects of JUNTOS on the probability of receiving prenatal care delivered by a skilled professional, including specific medical checkups during the prenatal visits, and a negative effect on the probability of experiencing obstetric emergencies during labor and childbirth.     

The impact of a multi-level maternal health programme on facility delivery and capacity for emergency obstetric care in Zambia

In 2012, Saving Mothers, Giving Life (SMGL), a multi-level health systems initiative, launched in Kalomo District, Zambia, to address persistent challenges in reducing maternal mortality. We assessed the impact of the programme from 2012 to 2013 using a quasi-experimental study with both household- and health facility-level data collected before and after implementation in both intervention and comparison areas. A total of 21,680 women and 75 non-hospital health centres were included in the study. Using the difference-in-differences method, multivariate logistic regression, and run charts, rates of facility-based birth (FBB) and delivery with a skilled birth provider were compared between intervention and comparison sites. Facility capacity to provide emergency obstetric and newborn care was also assessed before and during implementation in both study areas. There was a 45% increase in the odds of FBB after the programme was implemented in Kalomo relative to comparison districts, but there was a limited measurable change in supply-side indicators of intrapartum maternity care. Most facility-level changes related to an increase in capacity for newborn care. As SMGL and similar programmes are scaled-up and replicated, our results underscore the need to ensure that the health services supply is in balance with improved demand to achieve maximal reductions in maternal mortality.     

State Welfare Reform Policies and Maternal and Child Health Services: A National Study

Objectives: Welfare reform (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996) resulted in dramatic policy changes, including health-related requirements and the administrative separation of cash assistance from Medicaid. We were interested in determining if changes in welfare and health policies had had an impact on state MCH services and programs. Methods: We conducted a survey in fall 1999 of state MCH Title V directors. Trained interviewers administered the telephone survey over a 3-month period. MCH directors from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico participated (n = 52; response rate = 100%). Results: Among the most noteworthy findings is that similar proportions of respondents reported that welfare policy changes had either helped (46%) or hindered (42%) the agency's work, with most of the positive impact attributed to increased funding. MCH data linkages with welfare and other social programs were low. Despite welfare reform's emphasis on work, limited services and exemptions were available for mothers with CSHCN. Almost no efforts have been undertaken to specifically address the needs of substance abusers in the context of new welfare policies. Conclusions: Few MCH agencies have developed programs to address the special needs of women receiving TANF who either have health problems themselves or have children with health problems. Recommendations including increased MCH and family planning funding and improved coordination between TANF and MCH to facilitate linkages and services are put forth in light of reauthorization of PRWORA.     

Maternal Near Miss: An Indicator for Maternal Health and Maternal Care

Maternal mortality is one of the important indicators used for the measurement of maternal health. Although maternal mortality ratio remains high, maternal deaths in absolute numbers are rare in a community. To overcome this challenge, maternal near miss has been suggested as a compliment to maternal death. It is defined as pregnant or recently delivered woman who survived a complication during pregnancy, childbirth or 42 days after termination of pregnancy. So far various nomenclature and criteria have been used to identify maternal near-miss cases and there is lack of uniform criteria for identification of near miss. The World Health Organization recently published criteria based on markers of management and organ dysfunction, which would enable systematic data collection on near miss and development of summary estimates. The prevalence of near miss is higher in developing countries and causes are similar to those of maternal mortality namely hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, sepsis and obstructed labor. Reviewing near miss cases provide significant information about the three delays in health seeking so that appropriate action is taken. It is useful in identifying health system failures and assessment of quality of maternal health-care. Certain maternal near miss indicators have been suggested to evaluate the quality of care. The near miss approach will be an important tool in evaluation and assessment of the newer strategies for improving maternal health.     

Maternal and Child Health Graduate and Continuing Education Needs: A National Assessment

Objectives: The purpose of this report is to describe the methodology and results of a recent national assessment of long-term graduate and short-term continuing education needs of public health and health care professionals who serve or are administratively responsible for the U.S. maternal and child health population and also to offer recommendations for future training initiatives. Methods: The target of this needs assessment was all directors of state MCH, CSHCN and Medicaid agencies, as well as a 20% random sample of local public health departments. A 7-page needs assessment form was used to assess the importance of and need for supporting graduate and continuing education training in specific skill and content areas. The needs assessment also addressed barriers to pursuing graduate and continuing education. Respondents (n = 274) were asked to indicate the capacity of their agency for providing continuing education as well as their preferred modalities for training. Results: Regardless of agency type, i.e., state MCH, CSHCN, Medicaid or local health department, having employees with a graduate education in MCH was perceived to be of benefit by more than 70% of the respondents. Leadership, systems development, management, administration, analytic, policy and advocacy skills, as well as genetics, dentistry, nutrition and nursing, were all identified as critical unmet needs areas for professionals with graduate training. Education costs, loss of income, and time constraints were the identified barriers to graduate education. More than 90% of respondents from each agency viewed continuing education as a benefit for their staff, although the respondents indicated that their agencies have limited capacity to either provide such training or to assess their staff's need for continuing education. Program managers and staff were perceived in greatest need of continuing education and core public health skills, leadership, and administration were among the most frequently listed topics to receive continuing education training support dollars. Time away from work, lack of staff to cover functions, and cost were the top barriers to receiving continuing education. While attending on-site, in-state, small conferences was the continuing education modality of first preference, there was also considerable interest expressed in web-based training. Conclusions: Six recommendations were developed on the basis of the findings and address the following areas: the ongoing need for continued support of both graduate and continuing education efforts; the development of a national MCH training policy analysis center; the incorporation of routine assessments of training needs by states as part of their annual needs assessments; the promotion of alternative modalities for training, i.e., web-based; and, the sponsorship of academic/practice partnerships for cross-training.     

A Formative Evaluation in Maternal and Child Health Practice: The Partners for Life Nutrition Education Program for Pregnant Women

Objectives: This paper describes the formative evaluation of the Partners For Life Program that was developed to change dietary behavior of low income pregnant women in the Mississippi Delta region. Methods: A diverse group of nutrition/health professionals, adapted the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program's (EFNEP) methodology for pregnant patients in the local Women, Infants, and Children program who were receiving maternity care at the county health department. Formative evaluation activities included gathering data to determine 1) whether a new nutrition curriculum, modeled after EFNEP could be created, 2) whether peer educators could be recruited and trained to deliver the intervention, 3) whether pregnant women could be recruited to participate in the new program, 4) whether a pilot test of the new intervention would produce short-term impact in nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior, and 5) reactions of pregnant women on the usability of the new program. Data were gathered through use of the Program Implementation Index, focus groups, and a retrospective record review. Pilot test assessments included tests of nutrition knowledge and self-reported changes in dietary behavior. Results: The formative evaluation demonstrated both positive and negative outcomes. Positive data included 1) successful recruitment and training of the peer educators to deliver the intervention; 2) successful recruitment of the targeted population for the pilot study; 3) complete information on project questionnaires and measuring forms; and 4) among those who completed the program, a statistically significant improvement in nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior. Two negative aspects in this formative study were 1) the Program Implementation Index quantitatively showed that the program experienced problems retaining participants it recruited and 2) deviation of the timeframe for intervention delivery. Program length was identified as the primary reason for participant attrition. Conclusions: It is important for program developers to use results from formative evaluations to make changes in problem areas prior to implementation of a full-scale impact evaluation.     

广州市社区卫生服务机构妇幼保健工作现状及资源配置公平性研究

目的 探讨广州市社区卫生服务机构妇幼保健工作开展现状、资源配置情况及其公平性.方法 2010年12月至2011年2月,广州市妇幼保健院采用自行设计的<社区卫生服务机构及镇医院妇幼保健工作基本情况调查表>对广州市提供社区卫生服务机构进行普查,并运用Lorenz 曲线和Gini系数分析法,进行社区妇幼保健服务人力资源配置及其公平性进行评价.结果 广州市10个区及2个县级市,共计195家社区卫生服务机构接受调查,从业妇幼保健的人员共计735位.按照服务人口测算,社区卫生妇幼机构及妇幼保健人力资源配置的Gini系数分别为0.107,0.114;按照辖域面积测算,社区卫生妇幼机构及妇幼保健人力资源配置的Gini系数分别为0.509,0.598.按照辖域面积测算的Gini系数处于公平性配置警戒区域.结论 广州市社区卫生服务机构总体布局基本合理,达到国家覆盖人口设置标准,但公平性尚待改善,社区卫生服务人员结构仍尚待改善.     

参与式培训在世界银行—云南省妇幼卫生扶贫资金项目中的应用

给出了参与式培训的定义，并简要介绍了在世界银行-云南省妇连续剧卫生扶贫资金项目培训中所采取的7种具体方法的定义及其具体步骤，最后对培训的效果评估及组织参与式培训的注意事项进行的阐述。     

2017年兰州市孕产妇母婴健康素养状况及影响因素

目的:了解兰州市孕产妇母婴健康素养状况,为开展妇幼健康教育工作提供依据。方法:采用问卷调查的方法,对1661名孕产妇进行调查,采用多因素logistic回归分析孕产妇母婴健康素养水平的影响因素。结果:兰州市孕产妇母婴健康素养水平为16.0%(95%CI:14.2%~17.8%)。多因素logistic回归分析结果显示:农村地区、低年龄、低文化程度和人口流动是孕产妇具备母婴健康素养的阻碍因素。结论:兰州市孕产妇母婴健康素养水平较低,应提高健康教育的针对性和有效性,促进孕产妇母婴健康素养水平的提升。     

Female condom reuse in Lusaka, Zambia: Evidence from 12 cases

Female condom reuse could address one of the principal barriers to use, namely, cost; however, the safety of reuse has not been established. Recent reports have provided information related to reuse safety under carefully specified research study conditions. Still, little is known about reuse outside a research study context, and there are outstanding questions related to feasibility of reuse among general populations. This study reports on naturally occurring reuse from a small, purposive sample of self-identified women who, prior to the study, had reused the female condom of their own volition without reuse instruction. Three types of reuse were identified. Most women attempted to clean devices between removal and reinsertion. A number of agents, including water (only), bath soap, laundry detergent, Dettol, and beer were used for cleaning. A number of agents were used for relubrication, including Reality^® lubricant, various kinds of cooking oil, and Vaseline™. Perception of the strength and integrity of female condoms making them suitable for reuse were influenced by both provider advice and product packaging. Most participants reported no problems with reuse. Some women, faced with barriers to single use of a female condom or use of an acceptable alternative, will resort to reuse and rely on their own “common sense” notions to implement reuse. Providers and purveyors have opportunities to shape responses to reuse for the better, and the research community is obligated to provide a solid scientific base regarding reuse safety.     

Financial Incentives,Targeting, and Utilization of Child Health Services: Experimental Evidence from Zambia

To address untreated infections in children, routine health checkups have increasingly been incentivized as part of conditional cash transfer programs targeted at the poor. We conducted a field experiment in Zambia to assess the elasticity of demand for checkups as well as the associated health benefits. We find that relatively small incentives induce substantial increases in uptake among non‐farming households and households living farther away from clinics, but not among households in the top wealth quintile. These results suggest that small financial incentives may be an efficient way to target poor populations. However, given the weak socioeconomic gradient in infections observed, small incentives will miss a substantial fraction of exposed children. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Health and agricultural productivity: Evidence from Zambia

We evaluate the productivity effects of investment in preventive health technology through a randomized controlled trial in rural Zambia. In the experiment, access to subsidized bed nets was randomly assigned at the community level; 516 farmers were followed over a one-year farming period. We find large positive effects of preventative health investment on productivity: among farmers provided with access to free nets, harvest value increased by US$ 76, corresponding to about 14.7% of the average output value. While only limited information was collected on farming inputs, shifts in the extensive and the intensive margins of labor supply appear to be the most likely mechanism underlying the productivity improvements observed.     

1993-2003年中国妇女孕产期保健服务利用状况研究

目的描述1993--2003年我国妇女产前、产时和产后保健利用状况及探索可能的原因。方法利用1993、1998和2003年3次国家卫生服务调查资料进行分析。结果在1993--2003年间，城乡孕早期检查率和住院分娩率分别从9．9％和37．6％上升到58．1％和73.3％；城乡产前检查次数符合率分别从47.3％和11．4％上升到57．6％和36．6％：产后访视率农村从36．7％上升到42．2％，而城市的则从44．0％下降到39．7％；未住院分娩的前三位原因分别是认为没必要、经济困难和急产；农村在家分娩妇女由专业人员接生的比例从67．5％下降到51．4％。结论 过去的10年我国孕产期保健服务利用有较大提高．但产前、产时和产后3个阶段保健利用发展不平衡，尤其是产后保健利用水平提高缓慢以及农村在家分娩妇女由专业人员接生比例下降的现象应引起关注。     

Maternal Mental Health: Pathways of Care for Women Experiencing Mental Health Issues During Pregnancy

Perinatal mental health has become the focus for policymakers, government, research, the acute health sector, and health practitioners. The aim of this clinical data-mining study (Epstein, 2010 Epstein, I. 2010. Clinical Data-Mining: Integrating Practice and Research, New York, NY: Oxford University Press.  [Google Scholar]) was to undertake a retrospective exploration into the primary mental health and psychosocial issues experienced by women who were pregnant and accessing obstetric care at one of the largest maternity hospitals in Australia. The study also investigated service pathways and gaps. Aboriginal women were overrepresented, demonstrating their ongoing disadvantage, whereas other linguistically and culturally diverse women were underrepresented, suggesting the existence of barriers to service. Although psychosocial factors tend to be underreported (Buist et al., 2002 Buist, A.E., Barnett, B.E., Milgrom, J., Pope, S., Condon, J.T., Ellwood, D. and Hayes, B.A. 2002. To screen or not to screen – That is the question in perinatal depression. Medical Journal of Australia, 177(Suppl S): 101–105.  [Google Scholar]), the findings highlighted the integral rather than peripheral nature of these factors during pregnancy (Vilder, 2006 Vilder, C.H. 2006. Improving treatment outcomes for depressed women: Use of self help inventory in counselling settings. Psychotherapy Australia, 12(2): 74–81.  [Google Scholar]) and suggest the need for change to systems that work to support women's perinatal mental health.     

The effect of food insecurity on mental health: panel evidence from rural Zambia

A growing number of studies show support for a positive association between food insecurity and poor mental health in developing countries. Few of these studies, however, explore the relationship statistically employing longitudinal data. This study combines ethnography with randomly sampled household-level panel data (two waves) collected in 2009 to examine the association between food insecurity and mental health in rural Zambia. Mental health was measured using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire and food insecurity was assessed utilizing a modified 7-item scale based on local coping strategies used during food shortages. A multilevel linear regression model was employed with repeated measures nested within individuals (N = 280 observations) living in 81 households nested within 16 villages. Regression results confirm the postulated positive association between poor mental health and food insecurity. Food insecurity during the dry season, the time of year in rural Zambia when many households are typically food secure, had a subsequent greater effect on mental health than food insecurity during the rainy season. The difference in the effect was statistically significant at the five-percent level. In a country where mental health care resources are severely lacking, policy and applied efforts aimed at improving access to key agricultural resources, thereby increasing agricultural output, could potentially produce beneficial mental health outcomes.