# name
Measuring What Works: An Impact Evaluation of Women's Groups on
                Maternal Health Uptake in Rural Nepal

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
BACKGROUND: There is a need for studies evaluating maternal
                health interventions in low-income countries. This paper
                evaluates one such intervention designed to promote maternal
                health among rural women in Nepal. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was
                a five-year controlled, non-randomised, repeated cross-sectional
                study (2007, 2010, 2012) of a participatory community-based
                maternal health promotion intervention focusing on women's
                groups to improve maternal health services uptake. In total
                1,236 women of childbearing age, who had their last child </=
                two years ago, were interviewed. Difference-in-Difference
                estimation assessed the effects of the intervention on selected
                outcome variables while controlling for a constructed wealth
                index and women's characteristics. In the first three years
                (from 2007 to the 2010), the intervention increased women's
                likelihood of attending for antenatal care at least once during
                pregnancy by seven times [OR = 7.0, 95%CI (2.3; 21.4)], of
                taking iron and folic acid by three times [OR = 3.0, 95%CI (1.2;
                7.8)], and of seeking four or more antenatal care visits of two
                times, although not significantly [OR = 2.2, 95%CI (1.0; 4.7)].
                Over five years, women were more likely to seek antenatal care
                at least once [OR = 3.0, 95%CI (1.5; 5.2)], to take iron/folic
                acid [OR = 1.9, [95% CI (1.1; 3.2)], and to attend postnatal
                care [OR = 1.5, [95% CI (1.1; 2.2)]. No improvement was found on
                attending antenatal care in the first trimester, birthing at an
                institution or with a skilled birth attendant. CONCLUSION:
                Community-based health promotion has a much stronger effect on
                the uptake of antenatal care and less on delivery care. Other
                factors not easily resolved through health promotion
                interventions may influence these outcomes, such as costs or
                geographical constraints. The evaluation has implications for
                policy and practice in public health, especially maternal health
                promotion.

# metadata.dc.relation.isformatof[].value
Reproducció del document publicat a:
                http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0155144

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (ISGlobal)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Measuring What Works: An Impact Evaluation of Women's Groups on
                Maternal Health Uptake in Rural Nepal