Audrey Prost
Biographic Data
| ID | 211224 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Audrey Prost |
| GIVEN NAMES | Audrey |
| FAMILY NAME | Prost |
| SIGNATURE | PROST A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College London |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6121-8132 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 56 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 38 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 56 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1970 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
No more single stories: The case of global adolescent pregnancy care
Power and Ethics in Peer Research With Young People: A Critical Review of the Health and Social Work Literature
Peer research, where individuals with lived experience adopt the role of researcher, is increasingly used in studies with young people, particularly on sensitive topics and with marginalised groups. It is valued for its potential to reduce power imbalances and generate rich data. However, conceptual and theoretical gaps remain, particularly concerning ethical complexities and power dynamics. This critical review examines how peer research with yo…
Competing Priorities in Participatory Research With Adolescents: Reflections on Achieving Meaningful Participation for Intervention Development in Samoa and Nepal
Participatory approaches to research with adolescents are often seen as inherently superior to other qualitative methods because of their potential to redress power imbalances and enhance engagement. In reality, implementing participatory approaches is resource intensive and a complex balancing act where compromises have to be made. In this article, we share our experiences of using participatory approaches for intervention development with adole…
Involving children in global health policy and programming: Practical guidance to get started
Children face new and growing threats to their health and well-being, including rising rates of non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders linked to the influence of commercial determinants of health and climate change, among other issues. Yet despite their right to participation established under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, children are rarely invited to participate in global health processes meant to ben…
Intergenerational Climate Justice: Applying Theory to Policy in the Anthropocene
In this article we show that while it is important to develop and refine the moral theory of environmental and climate justice, it is also important to consider how to apply those theories, to shape laws and policies and develop good practice in climate movements. This article we identify and assess some promising policy design principles and legal strategies for advancing intergenerational climate justice. We begin by saying why intergenerationa…
Feasibility, acceptability and equity of a mobile intervention for Upscaling Participatory Action and Videos for Agriculture and Nutrition (m-Upavan) in rural Odisha, India
Addressing undernutrition requires strategies that remove barriers to health for all. We adapted an intervention from the ‘UPAVAN’ trial to a mobile intervention (m-UPAVAN) during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Odisha, India. In UPAVAN, women’s groups viewed and discussed participatory videos on nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive agricultural (NSA) topics. In m-UPAVAN, weekly videos and audios on the same topics were disseminated via What…
Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health
Background: Interventions with women's groups have been widely implemented to improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income settings, particularly India. While there is a large evidence base on the effectiveness of single interventions, it is challenging to predict whether a women's group intervention delivered in one setting can be expected to work in another. Methods: We applied realist principles to develop and refine a mid-range theory on…
That is because we are alone’: A relational qualitative study of socio-spatial inequities in maternal and newborn health programme coverage in rural Uttar Pradesh, India
This qualitative study was conducted in Uttar Pradesh state, India to explore how interrelated socio-economic position and spatial characteristics of four diverse villages may have influenced equity in coverage of community-based maternal and newborn health (MNH) services. We conducted social mapping and three focus group discussions in each village, among women of lower and higher socio-economic position who recently gave birth, and with communi…
Economic evaluation of participatory women’s groups scaled up by the public health system to improve birth outcomes in Jharkhand, eastern India
An estimated 2.4 million newborn infants died in 2020, 80% of them in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. To achieve the Sustainable Development Target for neonatal mortality reduction, countries with high mortality need to implement evidence-based, cost-effective interventions at scale. Our study aimed to estimate the cost, cost-effectiveness, and benefit-cost ratio of a participatory women’s groups intervention scaled up by the public health sys…
Exploring the feasibility of integrating health, nutrition and stimulation interventions for children under three years in Nepal’s health system: A qualitative study
Community-based primary care settings are a potential entry point for delivering Early Childhood Development (ECD) interventions in Nepal. Past studies have suggested that integrating stimulation with nutrition interventions is an effective way to deliver multiple benefits for children, but there is limited knowledge of how to do this in Nepal. We conducted a qualitative study in Nepal’s Dhanusha district to explore how stimulation interventions …
Intrahousehold power inequalities and cooperation: Unpacking household responses to nutrition‐sensitive agriculture interventions in rural India
Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) interventions offer a means to improve the dietary quality of rural, undernourished populations. Their effectiveness could be further increased by understanding how household dynamics enable or inhibit the uptake of NSA behaviours. We used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to describe the links between household dynamics-specifically intrahousehold power inequalities and intrahousehold cooperation-an…
Improving evidence on women's groups: A Proposed Typology and Common Reporting Indicators
Women’s groups are a widely implemented and researched development intervention, particularly in South Asia and Africa. Groups encompass many models and aim to address a range of objectives. However, there is no consistent approach to describing their varied implementation models, which hinders the accurate interpretation of evidence and construct validity. Drawing from three recent evidence reviews and research experience with groups, we propose…
Risk factors for violence against women in high-prevalence settings: A mixed-methods systematic review and meta-synthesis
Effects of community youth teams facilitating participatory adolescent groups, youth leadership activities and livelihood promotion to improve school attendance, dietary diversity and mental health am…
ISRCTN17206016
Understanding the effects of nutrition‐sensitive agriculture interventions with participatory videos and women's group meetings on maternal and child nutrition in rural Odisha, India: A mixed‐methods …
A trial of three nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions with participatory videos and women's group meetings in rural Odisha, India, found improvements in maternal and child dietary diversity, limited effects on agricultural production, and no effects on women and children's nutritional status. Our process evaluation explored fidelity, reach, and mechanisms behind interventions' effects. We also examined how context affected implementation…
Socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates: Evidence on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups in eastern India
PVTGs are highly disadvantaged in terms of birth outcomes. Targeted interventions that reduce geographical barriers to facility-based care and address root causes of high poverty and low education in PVTGs are a priority. For population-level impact, they are to be combined with broader policies to reduce socio-economic mortality inequalities. Community-based interventions reach disadvantaged groups and have potential to reduce the mortality gap
Feeding, caregiving practices, and developmental delay among children under five in lowland Nepal: A community-based cross-sectional survey
Suboptimal caregiving practices, inappropriate early breastfeeding practices, delayed introduction of complementary foods, inadequate dietary diversity and low animal-source food consumption are challenges in lowland Nepal. We call for urgent integrated nutrition and caregiving interventions, especially as interventions for child development are lacking in Nepal
Psychosocial resilience among left-behind adolescents in rural Thailand: A qualitative exploration
When parents migrate, they often leave children behind with relatives. Despite being at higher risk of socio-emotional problems, many left-behind children have good health and social outcomes, suggesting their resilience. We sought to understand how adolescents with internal and international migrant parents build resilience in Thailand. We conducted qualitative interviews with 24 adolescents aged 10-19, and six caregivers, parents and community …
Effectiveness of participatory women’s groups scaled up by the public health system to improve birth outcomes in Jharkhand, eastern India: A pragmatic cluster non-randomised controlled trial
INTRODUCTION: The WHO recommends community mobilisation with women's groups practising participatory learning and action (PLA) to improve neonatal survival in high-mortality settings. This intervention has not been evaluated at scale with government frontline workers. METHODS: We did a pragmatic cluster non-randomised controlled trial of women's groups practising PLA scaled up by government front-line workers in Jharkhand, eastern India. Groups p…
Boundaries of solidarity: A meta-ethnography of mask use during past epidemics to inform Sars-CoV-2 suppression
BACKGROUND: Many countries aiming to suppress SARS-CoV-2 recommend the use of face masks by the general public. The social meanings attached to masks may influence their use, but remain underinvestigated. METHODS: We systematically searched eight databases for studies containing qualitative data on public mask use during past epidemics, and used meta-ethnography to explore their social meanings. We compared key concepts within and across studies,…
Characteristics and effects of integrated nutrition and stimulation interventions to improve the nutritional status and development of children under 5 years of age: A systematic review and meta-analy…
Understanding the roles of community health workers in improving perinatal health equity in rural Uttar Pradesh, India: A qualitative study
The study found that ASHAs built relationships, counselled and supported many pregnant women of lower socio-economic positions. Ongoing inequities in health facility births and perinatal mortality were perpetuated by overlapping contextual issues beyond the ASHAs' purview. Supporting ASHAs' integration with community organisations and health system strategies more broadly is needed to address these issues and optimise pathways between equity in i…
I was trying to get there, but I couldn’t’: Social norms, vulnerability and lived experiences of home delivery in Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe
Increasing facility-based delivery rates is pivotal to reach Sustainable Development Goals to improve skilled attendance at birth and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The translation of global health initiatives into national policy and programmes has increased facility-based deliveries in LMICs, but little is known about the impact of such policies on social norms from the perspective of women w…
Participatory learning and action cycles with women's groups to prevent neonatal death in low-resource settings: A multi-country comparison of cost-effectiveness and affordability
WHO recommends participatory learning and action cycles with women's groups as a cost-effective strategy to reduce neonatal deaths. Coverage is a determinant of intervention effectiveness, but little is known about why cost-effectiveness estimates vary significantly. This article reanalyses primary cost data from six trials in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Malawi to describe resource use, explore reasons for differences in costs and cost-effective…
Participatory learning and action cycles with women’s groups to prevent neonatal death in low-resource settings: A multi-country comparison of cost-effectiveness and affordability
WHO recommends participatory learning and action cycles with women’s groups as a cost-effective strategy to reduce neonatal deaths. Coverage is a determinant of intervention effectiveness, but little is known about why cost-effectiveness estimates vary significantly. This article reanalyses primary cost data from six trials in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Malawi to describe resource use, explore reasons for differences in costs and cost-effective…
The Problem with 'Rich Refugees' Sponsorship, Capital, and the Informal Economy of Tibetan Refugees
This article examines issues pertaining to the growth of 'informal' economic exchanges and relationships of patronage in the Tibetan refugee community of Dharamsala (H-P), India. I firstly review the theoretical and methodological challenges posed by investigations of Tibetan refugee modernity, then focus on one particular form of exchange in the informal economy of exiles: rogs ram, or the sponsorship of Tibetans by foreigners. The article argue…
Causation as Strategy: Interpreting Humours among Tibetan Refugees
The article focuses on the incidence of humoural wind ( rlung ) disorders among Tibetan exiles in India. It investigates the reasons behind the emergence of rlung as a significant problem among Tibetan exiles, and seeks to unpack some of the local meanings of this 'epidemic'. Previous studies have generally described rlung disorders as symptomatic of political and moral concerns, highlighting the connections that Tibetans make between physical, m…
Improving evidence on women's groups: A Proposed Typology and Common Reporting Indicators
Women’s groups are a widely implemented and researched development intervention, particularly in South Asia and Africa. Groups encompass many models and aim to address a range of objectives. However, there is no consistent approach to describing their varied implementation models, which hinders the accurate interpretation of evidence and construct validity. Drawing from three recent evidence reviews and research experience with groups, we propose…
Psychosocial resilience among left-behind adolescents in rural Thailand: A qualitative exploration
When parents migrate, they often leave children behind with relatives. Despite being at higher risk of socio-emotional problems, many left-behind children have good health and social outcomes, suggesting their resilience. We sought to understand how adolescents with internal and international migrant parents build resilience in Thailand. We conducted qualitative interviews with 24 adolescents aged 10-19, and six caregivers, parents and community …
The effect of participatory women's groups on infant feeding and child health knowledge, behaviour and outcomes in rural Bangladesh: A controlled before-and-after study
BACKGROUND: Despite efforts to reduce under-5 mortality rates worldwide, an estimated 6.6 million under-5 children die every year. Community mobilisation through participatory women's groups has been shown to improve maternal and newborn health in rural settings, but little is known about the potential of this approach to improve care and health in children after the newborn period. METHODS: Following on from a cluster-randomised controlled trial…
Contagion and its Guises: Inequalities and Disease among Tibetan Exiles in India
The paper outlines the trajectories of Tibetan refugees afflicted by tuberculosis (TB) within the exile community of Dharamsala (H‐P). These stories reveal the political nature of TB status disclosure, highlighting the often conflicting ways in which the disease is perceived among different Tibetan exile regional and generational groups. On the basis of these case studies, I aim to show that differentiated experiences of treatment and stigma with…
The economics of blindness prevention in upper volta under the Onchocerciasis Control Program
Caught in an (Ethnographic) Moment: Negotiating Religious Loyalities in and Out of the Field
This paper examines some of the methodological and ethical dilemmas inherent to fieldwork in communities saturated by religious identification and discourses. I examine the dynamics of fieldwork along the fault lines of reflexivity, when one’s own existential ground is challenged and reformed through adopting a position of `practical empathy` with religious beliefs from which one had previously sought to distance oneself. Central to this is the i…
Caught in an (Ethnographic) Moment: Negotiating Religious Loyalities in and Out of the Field
This paper examines some of the methodological and ethical dilemmas inherent to fieldwork in communities saturated by religious identification and discourses. I examine the dynamics of fieldwork along the fault lines of reflexivity, when one’s own existential ground is challenged and reformed through adopting a position of `practical empathy` with religious beliefs from which one had previously sought to distance oneself. Central to this is the i…
The economics of blindness prevention in upper volta under the Onchocerciasis Control Program
The Problem with 'Rich Refugees' Sponsorship, Capital, and the Informal Economy of Tibetan Refugees
This article examines issues pertaining to the growth of 'informal' economic exchanges and relationships of patronage in the Tibetan refugee community of Dharamsala (H-P), India. I firstly review the theoretical and methodological challenges posed by investigations of Tibetan refugee modernity, then focus on one particular form of exchange in the informal economy of exiles: rogs ram, or the sponsorship of Tibetans by foreigners. The article argue…
Causation as Strategy: Interpreting Humours among Tibetan Refugees
The article focuses on the incidence of humoural wind ( rlung ) disorders among Tibetan exiles in India. It investigates the reasons behind the emergence of rlung as a significant problem among Tibetan exiles, and seeks to unpack some of the local meanings of this 'epidemic'. Previous studies have generally described rlung disorders as symptomatic of political and moral concerns, highlighting the connections that Tibetans make between physical, m…
Contagion and its Guises: Inequalities and Disease among Tibetan Exiles in India
The paper outlines the trajectories of Tibetan refugees afflicted by tuberculosis (TB) within the exile community of Dharamsala (H‐P). These stories reveal the political nature of TB status disclosure, highlighting the often conflicting ways in which the disease is perceived among different Tibetan exile regional and generational groups. On the basis of these case studies, I aim to show that differentiated experiences of treatment and stigma with…
Effect of a participatory intervention with women's groups on birth outcomes and maternal depression in Jharkhand and Orissa, India: A cluster-randomised controlled trial
Explaining the impact of a women's group led community mobilisation intervention on maternal and newborn health outcomes: The Ekjut trial process evaluation
BACKGROUND: Few large and rigorous evaluations of participatory interventions systematically describe their context and implementation, or attempt to explain the mechanisms behind their impact. This study reports process evaluation data from the Ekjut cluster-randomised controlled trial of a participatory learning and action cycle with women's groups to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes in Jharkhand and Orissa, eastern India (2005-2008…
Understanding social and cultural influences on the relationships and sexual experiences of young British Pakistanis in London: Is there unmet sexual health need
Background and aim Health services should take account of cultural and faith diversity. Pakistanis are the UKs second largest ethnic group and one of the largest Muslim communities. However, relative to other ethnic minority groups, there is a paucity of sexual health research among this group. Using community-based qualitative research we explored the social and cultural influences on sexual attitudes and experiences of young Pakistanis in East …
Identifying priorities to improve maternal and child nutrition among the Khmu ethnic group, Laos: A formative study
Chronic malnutrition in children remains highly prevalent in Laos, particularly among ethnic minority groups. There is limited knowledge of specific nutrition practices among these groups. We explored nutritional status, cultural beliefs and practices of Laos' Khmu ethnic group to inform interventions for undernutrition as part of a Primary Health Care (PHC) project. Mixed methods were used. For background, we disaggregated anthropometric and beh…
Managing risk through treatment-seeking in rural north-western Tanzania: Categorising health problems as malaria and nzoka
This paper examines how risk is perceived by lay populations in response to two aetiologically connected but conceptually divided diseases – malaria and nzoka . Using case study data from an ethnographic study of risk perceptions in north-western Tanzania, we explore the relevance of risk as a concept within a community exposed to traditional and modern value systems, a pluralistic health care system and syncretic treatment-seeking behaviour. We …
Women's groups practising participatory learning and action to improve maternal and newborn health in low-resource settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Maternal and Infant Deaths: Chasing Millennium Development Goals 4 And 5
Community perceptions of health and chronic disease in South Indian rural transitional communities: A qualitative study
BACKGROUND: Chronic diseases are now the leading cause of death and disability worldwide; this epidemic has been linked to rapid economic growth and urbanisation in developing countries. Understanding how characteristics of the physical, social, and economic environment affect behaviour in the light of these changes is key to identifying successful interventions to mitigate chronic disease risk. DESIGN: We undertook a qualitative study consisting…
Are village health sanitation and nutrition committees fulfilling their roles for decentralised health planning and action? A mixed methods study from rural eastern India
Our study suggests that VHSNCs perform few of their specified functions for decentralized planning and action. If VHSNCs are to be instrumental in improving community health, sanitation and nutrition, they need education, mobilisation and monitoring for formal links with the wider health system
Participatory women’s groups and counselling through home visits to improve child growth in rural eastern India: Protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
ISRCTN register 51505201 ; Clinical Trials Registry of India number 2014/06/004664
The effect of participatory women's groups on infant feeding and child health knowledge, behaviour and outcomes in rural Bangladesh: A controlled before-and-after study
BACKGROUND: Despite efforts to reduce under-5 mortality rates worldwide, an estimated 6.6 million under-5 children die every year. Community mobilisation through participatory women's groups has been shown to improve maternal and newborn health in rural settings, but little is known about the potential of this approach to improve care and health in children after the newborn period. METHODS: Following on from a cluster-randomised controlled trial…
Stillbirths: Rates, risk factors, and acceleration towards 2030
An estimated 2.6 million third trimester stillbirths occurred in 2015 (uncertainty range 2.4-3.0 million). The number of stillbirths has reduced more slowly than has maternal mortality or mortality in children younger than 5 years, which were explicitly targeted in the Millennium Development Goals. The Every Newborn Action Plan has the target of 12 or fewer stillbirths per 1000 births in every country by 2030. 94 mainly high-income countries and …
National, regional, and worldwide estimates of stillbirth rates in 2015, with trends from 2000: A systematic analysis
BACKGROUND: Previous estimates have highlighted a large global burden of stillbirths, with an absence of reliable data from regions where most stillbirths occur. The Every Newborn Action Plan (ENAP) targets national stillbirth rates (SBRs) of 12 or fewer stillbirths per 1000 births by 2030. We estimate SBRs and numbers for 195 countries, including trends from 2000 to 2015. METHODS: We collated SBR data meeting prespecified inclusion criteria from…
Handwashing, sanitation and family planning practices are the strongest underlying determinants of child stunting in rural indigenous communities of Jharkhand and Odisha, Eastern India: A cross‐sectio…
The World Health Organisation has called for global action to reduce child stunting by 40% by 2025. One third of the world's stunted children live in India, and children belonging to rural indigenous communities are the worst affected. We sought to identify the strongest determinants of stunting among indigenous children in rural Jharkhand and Odisha, India, to highlight key areas for intervention. We analysed data from 1227 children aged 6-23.99…
Somos iguales? Using a structural violence framework to understand gender and health inequities from an intersectional perspective in the Peruvian Amazon
BACKGROUND: In the Peruvian Amazon, historical events of colonization and political marginalization intersect with identities of ethnicity, class and geography in the construction of gender and health inequities. Gender-based inequalities can manifest in poor health outcomes via discriminatory practices, healthcare system imbalances, inequities in health research, and differential exposures and vulnerabilities to diseases. Structural violence is …
Family Planning and the Samburu: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Thoughts of Men on a Population Health and Environment Programme in Rural Kenya
Population Health and Environment (PHE) strategies are argued to improve ecosystem and human health by addressing family size and its effects on natural resource use, food security, and reproductive health. This study investigates men's views on a PHE family planning (FP) programme delivered among the pastoral Samburu tribe in rural northern Kenya. Three focus group discussions and nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 Samburu me…
Adolescent girls’ health, nutrition and wellbeing in rural eastern India: A descriptive, cross-sectional community-based study
Our study identified several priorities to improve adolescent girls' health, nutrition and wellbeing in largely tribal areas of Jharkhand: reducing violence, early marriage and undernutrition, as well as improving mental health, knowledge about contraception and school retention
Effects of participatory learning and action with women’s groups, counselling through home visits and crèches on undernutrition among children under three years in eastern India: A quasi-experimental …
The evaluation was registered retrospectively with Current Controlled Trials as ISCRTN89911047 on 30/01/2019
How to design a complex behaviour change intervention: Experiences from a nutrition-sensitive agriculture trial in rural India
Many public health interventions aim to promote healthful behaviours, with varying degrees of success. With a lack of existing empirical evidence on the optimal number or combination of behaviours to promote to achieve a given health outcome, a key challenge in intervention design lies in deciding what behaviours to prioritise, and how best to promote them. We describe how key behaviours were selected and promoted within a multisectoral nutrition…
Classroom, club or collective? Three types of community-based group intervention and why they matter for health
Interventions involving groups of laywomen, men and adolescents to promote health are increasingly popular, but past research has rarely distinguished between different types of intervention with groups. We introduce a simple typology that distinguishes three ideal types: classrooms, clubs and collectives . Classrooms treat groups as a platform for reaching a population with didactic behaviour change strategies. Clubs seek to build, strengthen an…
Medicine (40 works) · Child Nutrition and Water Access (25 works) · Environmental health (25 works) · Nursing (25 works) · Sociology (24 works) · Political science (23 works) · Global Maternal and Child Health (22 works) · Public health (18 works) · Economic growth (16 works) · Geography (16 works)