The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
Time to read
1 minute
Print
a- a+
Published 8 years ago
Last updated 2 years ago
Read so far

Evidence: Impacts on Breastfeeding Practices of At-Scale Strategies That Combine Intensive Interpersonal Counseling, Mass Media, and Community Mobilization: Results of Cluster-Randomized Program Evaluations in Bangladesh and Viet Nam

0 comments

Participating organisations in the Global Alliance for Social and Behaviour Change - Building Informed and Engaged Societies were asked to identify, in their opinion, the 5 most compelling research and evaluation studies that demonstrate the direct impact of this field of work on a major development issue. This was one of the nominees. For the full compiled list, please click here. For the compilation of the key impact data across all research evidence identified, please click here.

Title of paper, article, book (chapter), publication?:

Impacts on Breastfeeding Practices of At-Scale Strategies That Combine Intensive Interpersonal Counseling, Mass Media, and Community Mobilization: Results of Cluster-Randomized Program Evaluations in Bangladesh and Viet Nam

Name(s) of author(s)?:

Phuong Hong Nguyen, Derek Headey, Edward A., Frongillo, Lan Mai Tran, Rahul Rawat, Marie T. Ruel, Purnima Menon

Who published this paper, article, book (chapter) or other publication?:

PLOS Medicine

What are the best extracts that highlight the evidence for the impact of a communication for development, social change, behaviour change, public engagement, or informed citizen strategy on a development issue and priority?:

At-scale interventions combining intensive Interpersonal Communication (IPC) with Mass Media (MM), Community Mobilization (CM), and Policy Advocacy (PA) had greater positive impacts on breastfeeding practices in Bangladesh and Viet Nam than standard counseling with less intensive MM, CM, and PA. To our knowledge, this study is the first to document implementation and impacts of breastfeeding promotion at scale using rigorous evaluation designs. Strategies to design and deliver similar programs could improve breastfeeding practices in other contexts.

To which development issue does this evidence and impact data relate?:

Nutrition

To which strategic approach(es) does the evidence and impact data relate?:

IPC, mass media, community mobilization, policy advocacy

What research methodology (ies) was/were used to produce this evidence and impact data?:

RCT

What is the URL to access this paper, article, book (chapter) or other publication?:

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002159

Why was this research evidence found to be useful?:

At-scale, global work in different contexts