CHW Central

A global resource for and about Community Health Workers

Nutrition

Bringing Child Health Closer to Families: Lessons From a Family MUAC Intervention in Urban and Rural South Africa

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This study looked at a program in South Africa where community health workers taught mothers how to check their children for malnutrition using a simple arm measurement (MUAC). The program was more active in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) than in urban Gauteng. Most trained mothers in KZN were able to measure correctly, while fewer did so in Gauteng. Only a small number of mothers … [Read more...] about Bringing Child Health Closer to Families: Lessons From a Family MUAC Intervention in Urban and Rural South Africa

Centering community based maternal and child nutrition services in Bangladesh’s rural primary health care: What has potential to scale

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A new strategy to improve maternal and child nutrition services in rural Bangladesh was tested using community health workers. It integrated nutrition services with existing immunization and antenatal care programs, improving growth monitoring, maternal weight tracking, and supplement distribution. However, practices like dietary diversity and breastfeeding remained similar in … [Read more...] about Centering community based maternal and child nutrition services in Bangladesh’s rural primary health care: What has potential to scale

Characteristics of Mothers, Mothers’ Motivation, and the Role of Community Health Workers in Relation to Mothers’ Participation in Toddler Classes in Gogodalem Village

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This study examined factors affecting mothers' participation in toddler health classes in Gogodalem Village, Indonesia. Key findings showed that maternal age, motivation, and the support of community health volunteers (cadres) significantly influenced attendance. Improving maternal motivation and cadre involvement could boost participation, helping address high rates of … [Read more...] about Characteristics of Mothers, Mothers’ Motivation, and the Role of Community Health Workers in Relation to Mothers’ Participation in Toddler Classes in Gogodalem Village

Health and Nutrition Literacy among Community Health Workers in Rural and Urban Tanzania: A Comparative Study

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 This study assessed the health and nutrition literacy of community health workers (CHWs) in rural and urban Tanzania. Results showed that CHWs in rural areas had lower literacy levels compared to those in urban areas. Factors like age, area of residence, supervision frequency, and time spent on CHW activities influenced their literacy. There was also a strong link between … [Read more...] about Health and Nutrition Literacy among Community Health Workers in Rural and Urban Tanzania: A Comparative Study

Lessons Learned From the Use of Human-Centered Design Approaches to Improve Nutrition in Nigeria

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Improving children's diets between 6 and 24 months is crucial but has stalled globally. A project in Nigeria used human-centered design and behavior change theory to develop and test tools for better nutrition counseling by community health workers (CHWs) and strategies to improve dietary diversity. Successful prototypes encouraged two-way conversations between CHWs and … [Read more...] about Lessons Learned From the Use of Human-Centered Design Approaches to Improve Nutrition in Nigeria