142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

311412
Transforming Gender Norms, Roles, and Power Dynamics for Improving Maternal Health: A Systematic Review

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 12:56 PM - 1:09 PM

Sara Pappa, MA , Health Policy Project (HPP), Futures Group, Washington DC, DC
Arundati Muralidharan, DrPH , Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India
Elisabeth Rottach, MA , Health Policy Project, Futures Group, Washington DC, DC
Jessica Fehringer, PhD , Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, MEASURE Evaluation, Chapel Hill, NC
Madhumita Das, PhD , International Center for Research on Women, New Delhi, India
Mahua Mandal, PhD , MEASURE Evaluation, Washington DC, DC
Background: This systematic literature review examined the impact of gender-integrated programs on reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) and adolescent health, gender based violence (GBV), and HIV in South Asia. Findings presented here are specific to maternal health.

Methods: The search was based on scientific and grey-literature published between January 2000 and June 2013. Relevant publications were abstracted and rated on level of gender integration and level of effectiveness.   A thematic analysis of abstracted data was conducted.

Results: Twenty evaluated gender-integrated interventions were found on safe motherhood.  Interventions targeted both pregnant and non-pregnant married women.  Some interventions included primary decision-makers such as husbands and mothers-in-law and/or community members and healthcare providers.   Among the effective gender strategies included structural interventions promoting women’s empowerment, livelihoods, and education; challenging gender norms and inequalities through social behavioural change communication and promoting individual critical reflection on gender norms; increasing partner support for healthy pregnancy behaviors; strengthening couple communication and negotiation skills; and strengthening linkages to health facilities and improving access to health information and services. These strategies led to increases in: use of skilled pregnancy care, male accompaniment to antenatal care, proper nutrition and rest during pregnancy, and facility delivery.

Conclusion: The review documents the importance of male involvement and community engagement in pregnancy care in South Asia. Community-based interventions and information campaigns are pivotal to equip mothers and other stakeholders with education to improve knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and health outcomes. These findings provide evidence that integrating gender leads to improved maternal outcomes.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
List gender-integrated programs that have improved maternal health in South Asia. Describe strategies used by these programs to improve health and gender outcomes. Discuss the mechanisms through which male involvement and community engagement lead to improved maternal health. Discuss evaluation methods used by these programs.

Keyword(s): Gender, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a co-author on the main summary report, which the abstract is based on, and I have had a considerable role in the overall conceptualization and execution of the systematic review. I am a researcher, primarily focused on gender, and have been involved in a number of materials and reports similar to the systematic review findings that will be presented.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.