Supervision for community health workers to improve infant nutrition

Because of the inability to enter Laos this year, the data already available to the research team was analyzed and conducted a literature review. Prior to this study, the research team analyzed the outcomes of interventions for community health workers in remote areas of Cambodia. Forty-eight village malaria workers (community health workers trained in malaria testing and medication) were trained in infant nutrition by a research team and followed for 2 months during the 2-year intervention period. Additional training was provided. Every 2 months, village malaria workers in the intervention area instructed pregnant women and mothers of children under 2 years of age in their villages to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months, and after 6 months. used pictures to explain how to give various ingredients enough times. After the intervention period, 320 mothers with children under the age of 2 were interviewed using a questionnaire. It was found that interventions did not improve other measures of adequacy of infant feeding practices, such as exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and frequency of complementary feeding. It was considered necessary to strengthen communication between supervisors (health center staff) and village malaria workers, and to consider local traditional infant feeding methods. In addition, literature review was performed on 1) the supervision, motivation and job satisfaction of community health workers in remote areas, and 2) the current status of infant nutrition in remote areas of Laos. Dietary habits and food insecurity at the household level were associated with nutritional status of infants. Based on these results, a questionnaire was created to be used in this study.

Project details

Health Workforce

Apr 2021 — Mar 2024

$35,721

Lao PDR