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A"PD-Plus" Approach for Improving Newborn, Child, and Maternal Care in Quang Tri, Vietnam

Sector: Public Health

Date Range: 2002-2007

Location(s): Quang Tri Province, Viet Nam

Organization: Save the Children (SC)

Background:

A positive deviance inquiry (PDI) is a formative research technique to study individuals who experience better outcomes than their neighbors with similar backgrounds. The insights from a PDI can inform behavior change strategies. Save the Children (SC) has extensive experience using PDIs to study poor Vietnamese families with well-nourished children.

SC implemented a child survival project (2002-2007) in Huong Hoa and Dakrong Districts of Quang Tri Province. We supported the Ministry of Health to deliver maternal and newborn care and infant nutrition interventions, especially targeting Pakoh and Van Kieu minority populations. We strengthened facility-based and outreach services and delivered behavior change communication, primarily in a series of 12 monthly meetings, each promoting different messages. We modified the formative PDI: (1) to apply it throughout the project instead of only at baseline and (2) to inquire about behavioral outcomes instead of health status outcomes. SC trained community health workers (Guides) to facilitate the meetings, including conducting a “new topic PDI” to study if, why, and how attendees might already be practicing a good behaviors introduced at the current meeting and a “booster PDI” to study if, why and how they might have adopted behaviors discussed at previous meetings.

We wanted to know about the effects, acceptability, feasibility, quality, and sustainability of Community Meetings with this modified PDI.

Read More:

Report: Save the Children Working Paper No.2: Acceptability, Feasibility, Quality, Effect, and Sustainability of a "PD-Plus" Approach for Improving Newborn, Child, and Maternal Care in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam