Evidence: Improving Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health Using Health Communication in Bangladesh: Final Evaluation
Participating organisations in the Global Alliance for Social and Behaviour Change - Building Informed and Engaged Societies were asked to identify, in their opinion, the 5 most compelling research and evaluation studies that demonstrate the direct impact of this field of work on a major development issue. This was one of the nominees. For the full compiled list, please click here. For the compilation of the key impact data across all research evidence identified, please click here.
Title of paper, article, book (chapter), publication?:
Improving Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health Using Health Communication in Bangladesh: Final Evaluation
Name(s) of author(s)?:
Sophie Baskett and Anna Godfrey
Who published this paper, article, book (chapter) or other publication?:
BBC Media Action
What are the best extracts that highlight the evidence for the impact of a communication for development, social change, behaviour change, public engagement, or informed citizen strategy on a development issue and priority?:
Funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), under the Global Grant project,iii BBC Media Action’s flagship output was the TV drama series Ujan Ganger Naiya (Sailing Against the Tide). Over the course of three series, the drama charted the lives of several rural families in Bangladesh. The drama was accompanied by a TV panel discussion programme, Natoker Pore (After the Drama), TV public service announcements (PSAs), a radio discussion programme (in the first year only) and community outreach activities. To support lasting change, the project also involved capacity-strengthening activities with health workers. The overarching objective was to help to improve maternal and newborn health in Bangladesh. The key behavioural aims of the project, identified as critical in the fight against neonatal and maternal mortality by the World Health Organization (WHO),iv were in the areas of antenatal care (ANC), birth preparedness, safer delivery, and essential newborn care (ENC). Research was used throughout the project to inform programme development and evaluate its impact. This report summarises findings from evaluation research to assess and understand the project’s impact. Quantitative analysis including exposed and unexposed comparison at endline using statistical analysis to control for known influences on health, supplemented by a smallscale randomised control trial (RCT) and an interrogation of the projects theory of change using structural equation modelling (SEM). Qualitative methods, including focus groups and interviews, were also used to enrich and triangulate quantitative findings. Research findings from the Global Grant health project in Bangladesh mean that, for the first time, BBC Media Action has causal evidence that well designed, engaging and research led TV programmes can increase people’s health-focused knowledge and behavioural intent. A randomised control trial (RCT) showed that improvements can be causally attributed to exposure to BBC Media Action’s TV programming, at least over the short term in an experimental setting. This study also showed that exposure to a supporting factual discussion programme in addition to the drama led to additional gains. This experimental study supports insights from cross-sectional survey data, which showed that exposure to multiple formats (in this case the drama, discussion programme and PSAs) was associated with higher levels of knowledge than exposure to the drama only. New mothers who watched BBC Media Action’s programmes were more likely than nonviewers to do things to ensure a safe pregnancy and birth, compared with those who did not watch, even after accounting for differences between these groups (e.g. age, income, and education). This includes going for ANC check-ups, making plans to give birth in a health facility, delivering their last infant in a health facility and/or with the help of a skilled attendant, delaying bathing the newborn, practising skin-to-skin care and avoiding pre-lacteal feeds (feeding the child anything other than breast milk) in the first days of a baby’s life. Programme exposure was associated with more positive outcomes around the uptake of ANC – the topic most covered by the programmes – followed by birth preparation. Some significant positive results were also found for safer delivery of babies and ENC, albeit less consistently.
To which development issue does this evidence and impact data relate?:
maternal child health
To which strategic approach(es) does the evidence and impact data relate?:
Entertainment-education (drama and discussion shows) and outreach
What research methodology (ies) was/were used to produce this evidence and impact data?:
RCT, Quant surveys, Qualitative research. Analyses used includes regression and Structural Equation Modelling
What is the URL to access this paper, article, book (chapter) or other publication?:
Similar research findings were found in Ethiopia
Why was this research evidence found to be useful?:
Has helped us evolve our programming around maternal child health.