BACKGROUND: Compliance with daily micronutrient supplementation is usually poor and the question arises whether compliance with a weekly regimen would be better. OBJECTIVES: The inputs (messages and channels), output (increase of knowledge), and outcome (behavior changes) ofa communication campaign in a micronutrient supplementation program for women and adolescent girls 12 through 44 years of age and children under 5 years of age (primary audience) were analyzed. METHODS: The communication program addressed not only the primary, but also the secondary (facilitators) and tertiary audiences. Formative research and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the communication campaign. RESULTS: Nearly all women and adolescent girls (89%) and children (91%) took at least 75% of the supplements over the 3-month period. The incidence rates of reported negative side effects of supplementation in children and in women and adolescent girls were less than 10%. Knowledge of micronutrient nutrition among facilitators of all ages and education levels increased significantly (p <.001). CONCLUSION: . A thoroughly planned and implemented nutrition communication program can secure high compliance of the beneficiaries of micronutrient supplementation programs. The necessary supplies should be available at least 3 months before program implementation. With an adequate communication program, supplementation programs can be used to foster food-based approaches for the target audience.
BACKGROUND: Compliance with daily micronutrient supplementation is usually poor and the question arises whether compliance with a weekly regimen would be better. OBJECTIVES: The inputs (messages and channels), output (increase of knowledge), and outcome (behavior changes) ofa communication campaign in a micronutrient supplementation program for women and adolescent girls 12 through 44 years of age and children under 5 years of age (primary audience) were analyzed. METHODS: The communication program addressed not only the primary, but also the secondary (facilitators) and tertiary audiences. Formative research and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the communication campaign. RESULTS: Nearly all women and adolescent girls (89%) and children (91%) took at least 75% of the supplements over the 3-month period. The incidence rates of reported negative side effects of supplementation in children and in women and adolescent girls were less than 10%. Knowledge of micronutrient nutrition among facilitators of all ages and education levels increased significantly (p <.001). CONCLUSION: . A thoroughly planned and implemented nutrition communication program can secure high compliance of the beneficiaries of micronutrient supplementation programs. The necessary supplies should be available at least 3 months before program implementation. With an adequate communication program, supplementation programs can be used to foster food-based approaches for the target audience.
Authors: Jessica D Brewer; Maria P Santos; Karina Román; Amy R Riley-Powell; Richard A Oberhelman; Valerie A Paz-Soldan Journal: Matern Child Nutr Date: 2019-11-26 Impact factor: 3.660
Authors: Jessica D Brewer; Julianna Shinnick; Karina Román; Maria P Santos; Valerie A Paz-Soldan; Alison M Buttenheim Journal: Glob Health Sci Pract Date: 2020-12-23