TY - JOUR
T1 - Behaviour change interventions improve maternal and child nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa
T2 - A systematic review
AU - Watson, Daniella
AU - Mushamiri, Patience
AU - Beeri, Paula
AU - Rouamba, Toussaint
AU - Jenner, Sarah
AU - Proebstl, Simone
AU - Kehoe, Sarah H.
AU - Ward, Kate A.
AU - Barker, Mary
AU - Lawrence, Wendy
AU - Nonterah, Engelbert A.
AU - Oduro, Abraham
AU - Debpuur, Cornelius
AU - Adoctor, James
AU - Welaga, Paul
AU - Dam-Bayi, Edith
AU - Nonterah, Esmond W.
AU - Ofosu, Winfred
AU - Ayibisah, Doreen
AU - Dalaba, Maxwell
AU - Chatio, Samuel
AU - Sorgho, Hermann
AU - Boua, Palwendé R.
AU - Compaoré, Adelaïde
AU - Ouedraogo, Kadija
AU - Derra, Karim
AU - Welgo, Aminata
AU - Tinto, Halidou
AU - Hofman, Karen J.
AU - Goldstein, Susan
AU - Erzse, Agnes
AU - Tugendhaft, Aviva
AU - Mdewa, Winfreda
AU - Edoka, Ijeoma
AU - Hanson, Mark
AU - Newell, Marie Louise
AU - Godfrey, Keith M.
AU - Fall, Caroline
AU - Hardy-Johnson, Polly
AU - Norris, Shane
AU - Cohen, Emmanuel
AU - Wrottesley, Stephanie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright: © 2023 Watson et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2023/3/30
Y1 - 2023/3/30
N2 - Evidence that nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions can improve maternal and child nutrition status in sub-Saharan Africa is inconclusive. Using behaviour change theory and techniques in intervention design may increase effectiveness and make outcomes more predictable. This systematic review aimed to determine whether interventions that included behaviour change functions were effective. Six databases were searched systematically, using MeSH and free-text terms, for articles describing nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive behaviour change interventions published in English until January 2022. Titles, abstracts and full-text papers were double-screened. Data extraction and quality assessments followed Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines. Behaviour change functions of interventions were mapped onto the COM-B model and Behaviour Change Wheel. PROSPERO registered (135054). The search yielded 1193 articles: 79 articles met inclusion criteria, ranging from low (n = 30) to high (n = 11) risk of bias. Many that applied behaviour change theory, communication or counselling resulted in significant improvements in infant stunting and wasting, household dietary intake and maternal psychosocial measures. Interventions with >2 behaviour change functions (including persuasion, incentivisation, environmental restructuring) were the most effective. We recommend incorporating behaviour change functions in nutrition interventions to improve maternal and child outcomes, specifically drawing on the Behaviour Change Wheel, COM-B model (SORT B recommendation). To enhance the designs of these interventions, and ultimately improve the nutritional and psychosocial outcomes for mothers and infants in sub-Saharan Africa, collaborations are recommended between behaviour change and nutrition experts, intervention designers, policy makers and commissioners to fund and roll-out multicomponent behaviour change interventions.
AB - Evidence that nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions can improve maternal and child nutrition status in sub-Saharan Africa is inconclusive. Using behaviour change theory and techniques in intervention design may increase effectiveness and make outcomes more predictable. This systematic review aimed to determine whether interventions that included behaviour change functions were effective. Six databases were searched systematically, using MeSH and free-text terms, for articles describing nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive behaviour change interventions published in English until January 2022. Titles, abstracts and full-text papers were double-screened. Data extraction and quality assessments followed Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines. Behaviour change functions of interventions were mapped onto the COM-B model and Behaviour Change Wheel. PROSPERO registered (135054). The search yielded 1193 articles: 79 articles met inclusion criteria, ranging from low (n = 30) to high (n = 11) risk of bias. Many that applied behaviour change theory, communication or counselling resulted in significant improvements in infant stunting and wasting, household dietary intake and maternal psychosocial measures. Interventions with >2 behaviour change functions (including persuasion, incentivisation, environmental restructuring) were the most effective. We recommend incorporating behaviour change functions in nutrition interventions to improve maternal and child outcomes, specifically drawing on the Behaviour Change Wheel, COM-B model (SORT B recommendation). To enhance the designs of these interventions, and ultimately improve the nutritional and psychosocial outcomes for mothers and infants in sub-Saharan Africa, collaborations are recommended between behaviour change and nutrition experts, intervention designers, policy makers and commissioners to fund and roll-out multicomponent behaviour change interventions.
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000401
DO - 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000401
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85166146257
SN - 2767-3375
VL - 3
JO - PLOS Global Public Health
JF - PLOS Global Public Health
IS - 3
M1 - e0000401
ER -