Lessons Learned From A Qualitative Assessment of Integrated Agriculture and Nutrition Behavior Change Intervention in Rural Bangladesh
Location
DeSantis Room 2057
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
16-1-2020 4:00 PM
End Date
16-1-2020 4:20 PM
Abstract
Poverty, low-income and price hikes restrict poor families from accessing sufficient and diversified nutritious foods, which leads to their food and nutrition insecurity in Bangladesh. Improving homestead fruit and vegetable production integrating with enhanced communications about nutrition would lead to improved dietary diversity and nutritional status of women and children. Such integrated intervention requires rigorous evaluation to understand its suitability for making an impact. We conducted a qualitative assessment to generate contextual insight to assess feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. We collected data in two phases. The first phase included face-to-face in-depth interviews with women with young children, their husbands, elderly female family members and government agriculture workers. In the second phase, we observed child feeding practices and the families agricultural activities, and photographed these practices on smartphones with consents from the families. We used NVivo software to organize and code the data. Two local researchers made the initial code list. The list was reviewed in a Skype video call that was attended by the local researchers and myself to develop the final code list. The results revealed that the women were interested in both agriculture and nutrition counseling and understood the messages clearly. They established homestead gardens of seasonal vegetables successfully that included preparing beds, planting seedlings, nurturing the plans and harvesting. Seasonal rainfall and damage by hens and ducks were major challenges but most of the families were able to find a solution. Our research provided evidence that combining agriculture with nutrition counseling is a feasible and acceptable approach to the community. The research also provided insights into how to practice qualitative research with local researchers with help from online and digital technology. I will use PowerPoint slides, photos, video clips to present my paper.
Keywords
Agriculture intervention research, Cultural acceptability, Digital technology, South Asia
Lessons Learned From A Qualitative Assessment of Integrated Agriculture and Nutrition Behavior Change Intervention in Rural Bangladesh
DeSantis Room 2057
Poverty, low-income and price hikes restrict poor families from accessing sufficient and diversified nutritious foods, which leads to their food and nutrition insecurity in Bangladesh. Improving homestead fruit and vegetable production integrating with enhanced communications about nutrition would lead to improved dietary diversity and nutritional status of women and children. Such integrated intervention requires rigorous evaluation to understand its suitability for making an impact. We conducted a qualitative assessment to generate contextual insight to assess feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. We collected data in two phases. The first phase included face-to-face in-depth interviews with women with young children, their husbands, elderly female family members and government agriculture workers. In the second phase, we observed child feeding practices and the families agricultural activities, and photographed these practices on smartphones with consents from the families. We used NVivo software to organize and code the data. Two local researchers made the initial code list. The list was reviewed in a Skype video call that was attended by the local researchers and myself to develop the final code list. The results revealed that the women were interested in both agriculture and nutrition counseling and understood the messages clearly. They established homestead gardens of seasonal vegetables successfully that included preparing beds, planting seedlings, nurturing the plans and harvesting. Seasonal rainfall and damage by hens and ducks were major challenges but most of the families were able to find a solution. Our research provided evidence that combining agriculture with nutrition counseling is a feasible and acceptable approach to the community. The research also provided insights into how to practice qualitative research with local researchers with help from online and digital technology. I will use PowerPoint slides, photos, video clips to present my paper.