Effectiveness of female community health volunteers in the detection and management of low-birth-weight in Nepal

Shizuka Amano

qualifications: MSc

contribution: original concept, wrote the first draft, collected data, statistical analysis, supervised data collection

position: Postgraduate student

Japan

research interest: maternal and child health

Bhim Shrestha

qualifications: MSc

contribution: collected data, supervised data collection

position: Project manager

Nepal

Maternal and child health, neonates and nutrition related research and articles

Shiv Chaube

contribution: collected data

position: Project assistant

Machiko Higuchi

qualifications: PhD

contribution: contributed to drafts, statistical analysis

position: Assistant professor

Dharma Manandhar

qualifications: FRCP

contribution: designed the project

position: Project head

David Osrin

qualifications: PhD

contribution: designed the project, contributed to drafts

position: Senior research fellow

Anthony Costello

qualifications: FMedSci

contribution: designed the project

position: Professor

Naomi Saville

qualifications: PhD

contribution: designed the project, supervised data collection, contributed to drafts

position: Project researcher

Nepal

• Cluster randomised controlled trial in rural plains Nepal to determine the relative impact on birth weight of i) a behaviour change strategy through community mobilisation through women's groups alone, ii) unconditional cash transfers to pregnant women, iii) food transfers to pregnant women (both ii and iii combined with the same behaviour change strategy) and iv) usual government programmes. • Nutritional interventions to address stunting and other indicators of undernutrition particularly during the first 24 months of life and especially involving community mobilization approaches to improve maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and complementary feeding after 6 months • Assessment of food security, livelihoods, vulnerability and nutritional status, particularly in relation to recent food price hikes in Nepal; • Community-based interventions to improve maternal and child health, in particular to reduce neonatal mortality; • Social inequalities in relation to health, nutrition and access to services • Maternal mental health and the potential for community interventions to address mental health issues in the community; • Participatory approaches to development and action research.