Designing a Behavior Change Communication Strategy to Improve Family Health Outcomes in Bihar
Council researchers are assisting the Government of India in assessing the factors that influence family health behaviors in Bihar; from the assessment they will recommend a comprehensive behavior change strategy for implementation.
India accounts for one-quarter or more of maternal and child mortality worldwide, and contributes to over one-quarter of the death and disease burden attributable to nutritional risk factors among children under age five. India's northern states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (UP), account for a large proportion of this disease burden. While reviews of family health interventions have documented that simple home- and community-based interventions implemented at scale can considerably reduce the burden of maternal, newborn, and child mortality and morbidity and malnutrition, the adoption of these interventions has remained unacceptably low.
A well-aligned communication strategy that includes culturally contextualized messages on family health delivered through mid-level and mass media can play a key role in modifying high-risk practices and shaping demand for the adoption of preventive family health practices. In Bihar in 2005–06, almost half (49 percent) of women and 22 percent of men had not heard nor seen any family planning messages in mass media, wall paintings, or billboards, and only 19 percent of women had contact with a frontline family planning worker. Following the Council’s involvement in a landscaping study in Uttar Pradesh that aimed to develop an evidence-based behavior change communication (BCC) strategy, the Council also contributed to a study in Bihar to assess the factors influencing attitudes, perceptions, and practices of family health behaviors.
A comprehensive behavior change intervention will soon be implemented for changing key behaviors, with a bearing on family health indicators. A range of issues need to be considered when developing a comprehensive communication strategy for behavior change in rural Bihar. Key lessons for developing a BCC strategy include the need to focus on women, particularly young mothers and newly married couples, mothers-in-law and other "wise" females in the family, husbands, and health providers as key target audiences for improving selected behaviors. Because health providers often cannot reach small hamlets at a distance from villages and health facilities, special efforts are needed to focus on difficult-to-reach and poorly developed villages. Women from marginalized groups like scheduled castes and those with no education also require special focus. BCC strategies to improve family health behaviors can be implemented in partnership with media agencies.
Newspapers currently publish few items on health and development themes. In order to increase coverage of health issues a communication strategy will need to tailor communication approaches to each newspaper's priorities, making health an attractive issue for public debate, and train journalists to cover these issues effectively.
Future demand for maternal and child health services from public health facilities in Bihar (HTML)
Ram,F.; Khan,M.E.; Darmstadt,Gary L.; Tarigopula,Usha Kiran; Ganju,Deepika; Donnay,France
from Shaping Demand and Practices to Improve Family Health Outcomes: Designing a Behavior Change Communication Strategy in India, Volume 2: Bihar
Publication date: 2012
Information and communication technologies in Bihar's health sector: A review of projects and future directions (HTML)
Garai,A.; Khan,M.E.; Darmstadt,Gary L.; Tarigopula,Usha Kiran; Ganju,Deepika; Donnay,France
from Shaping Demand and Practices to Improve Family Health Outcomes: Designing a Behavior Change Communication Strategy in India, Volume 2: Bihar
Publication date: 2012
Shaping Demand and Practices to Improve Family Health Outcomes: Designing a Behavior Change Communication Strategy in India, Volume 1: Uttar Pradesh (HTML)
Publication date: 2012
Shaping Demand and Practices to Improve Family Health Outcomes: Designing a Behavior Change Communication Strategy in India, Volume 2: Bihar (HTML)
Publication date: 2012
Situation analysis of behavior change communication activities in Bihar: A step towards developing a comprehensive BCC strategy (PDF)
Khan,M.E.; Bhatnagar,Isha; Hazra,Avishek; Kumar,Mukesh
Publication date: 2012
Future demand for maternal and child health services from public health facilities in Bihar
Ram,F.
Policy Brief (no. 7)
Publication date: 2011
Increasing acceptance of spacing methods in rural Bihar: Implications for behavior change communication
Bhatnagar,Isha; Khan,M.E.; Hazra,Avishek
Policy Brief (no. 5)
Publication date: 2011
Increasing complementary feeding in rural Bihar: Implications for behavior change communication
Aruldas,Kumudha; Khan,M.E.; Hazra,Avishek
Policy Brief (no. 4)
Publication date: 2011
Increasing complete immunization in rural Bihar: Implications for behavior change communication
Ahmad,Jaleel; Khan,M.E.
Policy Brief (no. 6)
Publication date: 2011
Increasing early and exclusive breastfeeding in rural Bihar: Implications for behavior change communication
Aruldas,Kumudha; Khan,M.E.; Hazra,Avishek
Policy Brief (no. 3)
Publication date: 2011
Increasing institutional deliveries with increased access to emergency obstetric care services in rural Bihar: Implications for behavior change communication
Hazra,Avishek; Khan,M.E.; Varma,Deepthi S.
Policy Brief (no. 1)
Publication date: 2011
Increasing postnatal care of mothers: Implications for behavior change communication in rural Bihar
Varma,Deepthi S.; Khan,M.E.
Policy Brief (no. 2)
Publication date: 2011
Information and communication technologies in Bihar's health sector: A review of projects and future directions
Garai,A.
Policy Brief (no. 10)
Publication date: 2011
Reaching audiences in rural Bihar: A situation analysis of modes of communication and implications for behavior change communication
Khan,M.E.; Bhatnagar,Isha; Hazra,Avishek
Policy Brief (no. 8)
Publication date: 2011
Use pattern and potential use of mobile phone in health sector in rural Bihar
Khan,M.E.; Hazra,Avishek; Ahmad,Jaleel
Policy Brief (no. 9)
Publication date: 2011
Increasing complete immunization in rural Uttar Pradesh: Implications for behavior change communication (PDF) (HTML)
Population Council
Shaping Demand and Practices to Improve Family Health Outcomes in Northern India Policy Brief (no. 8)
Publication date: 2010
Media perspectives on partnerships to address family health in northern India: Implications for behavior change communication (PDF) (HTML)
Population Council
Shaping Demand and Practices to Improve Family Health Outcomes in Northern India Policy Brief (no. 11)
Publication date: 2010
Project Stats
Location: India (Bihar)
Program(s):
Reproductive Health
Topic(s):
Family planning services
Postpartum family planning
Duration: 1/2010 - 12/2010
Population Council researchers:
Jaleel Ahmad
Kumudha Aruldas
Isha Bhatnagar
Deepika Ganju
Avishek Hazra
M.E. Khan
Donors:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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