Testing theory of change assumptions of health behavior change interventions
A blended approach exploring local contexts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21457097 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Avishek Hazra (0000-0001-5992-189X, Population Council Institute, corresponding author), Jaleel Ahmad (0000-0002-7702-6669, Population Council Institute), Padma Mohanan, P S Mohanan, Supriya Supriya (0000-0003-3942-7637, Population Council Institute), Raj Kumar Verma (0000-0001-7434-3776, Population Council Institute), Sanjeev Sridharan (0000-0002-0392-3084, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 98 |
| Pages | 102258 |
| Publication date | 2023-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Evaluation and Program Planning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0149-7189 • E-ISSN: 1873-7870 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2023.102258 |
| PMID | 36958273 |
| OpenAlex | W4321205955 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 18 |
This paper used a blended approach that involves multiple techniques to, first, test a set of assumptions around a health behavior change communication intervention theory of change (ToC) and, second, surface some unidentified assumptions involving the local context. The intervention was integrated with women's self-help groups (SHGs) in Uttar Pradesh, India. The key assumption tested in this paper was the linkage between SHG membership, program exposure, and maternal, newborn, and child health practices. Learnings were substantiated through empirical investigations, including structural equation modeling and mediation analysis, as well as 'co-learning' workshops within the community. The workshops aimed to capture and interpret the heterogeneity of local contexts through deep dialogs with the community and program implementers at various levels. Statistical analyses indicated a significant association between the amount of women's program exposure and their health practices. SHG membership was shown to affect maternal health practices; however, it did not have a direct effect on neonatal or child health practices. The 'co-learning' workshops revealed crucial aspects, such as prevailing socio-cultural norms, which prevented pregnant or recently delivered women from participating in SHG meetings. This paper encourages evaluators to work with the community to interpret and co-construct meaning in unpacking the contextual forces that seldom appear in the program ToC
Behavior change · Behavior change communication · Community health · Construct (python library) · Context (archaeology) · Environmental health · Geography · Intervention (counseling) · Meaning (existential) · Mediation · Population · Psychological intervention · Public health · Set (abstract data type) · Social science · Sociology · Theory of change · Community Health and Development · Computer Science · Global Maternal and Child Health · Health Policy Implementation Science · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology
Structural Equation Modeling
Effect of community-based behaviour change management on neonatal mortality in Shivgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
Effect of a participatory intervention with women's groups on birth outcomes and maternal depression in Jharkhand and Orissa, India
Effect of a participatory intervention with women's groups on birth outcomes in Nepal
Using theory of change to design and evaluate public health interventions
Effect of community-based newborn-care intervention package implemented through two service-delivery strategies in Sylhet district, Bangladesh
Basics of Structural Equation Modeling
Building an Evaluative Culture
Theory of Change Analysis
Useful Theory of Change Models
Developing a Stakeholder-Driven Anticipated Timeline of Impact for Evaluation of Social Programs
The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research
The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |