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 interve...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
International Society of Global Health
2024
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| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151994 |
| _version_ | 1855532458589552640 |
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| author | Desai, Sapna Kumar, Neha Gram, Lu Hazra, Avishek Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu Sivaram, Sharmada |
| author_browse | Desai, Sapna Gram, Lu Hazra, Avishek Kumar, Neha Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu Sivaram, Sharmada |
| author_facet | Desai, Sapna Kumar, Neha Gram, Lu Hazra, Avishek Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu Sivaram, Sharmada |
| author_sort | Desai, Sapna |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | 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 the effectiveness of women’s groups interventions, summarised key lessons for implementation, and reflected on the process. We synthesised primary data from several interventions in India, a systematic review, and an analysis of behaviour change techniques. We developed mid-range theories across three areas: maternal and newborn health, nutrition, and violence against women, as well as an overarching mid-range theory on how women’s groups can improve health.
Results
Our overarching mid-range theory suggested that effective interventions should: build group or community capabilities; focus on health outcomes relevant to group members; and approach health issues modifiable through women’s individual or collective actions. We identified four key lessons for future interventions with women’s groups, including the importance of skilled and remunerated facilitation, sufficient intensity, supply-side strengthening, and the need to adapt delivery during scale up while maintaining fidelity to intervention theory.
Conclusions
Our experience demonstrated the feasibility of developing mid-range theory from a combination of evidence and insights from practice. It also underscored the importance of community engagement and ongoing research to ‘thicken’ mid-range theories to design effective and scalable women’s groups interventions in India and similar settings. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace151994 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | International Society of Global Health |
| publisherStr | International Society of Global Health |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1519942025-12-08T10:06:44Z Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health Desai, Sapna Kumar, Neha Gram, Lu Hazra, Avishek Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu Sivaram, Sharmada women health low income groups behaviour nutrition maternal and child health violence 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 the effectiveness of women’s groups interventions, summarised key lessons for implementation, and reflected on the process. We synthesised primary data from several interventions in India, a systematic review, and an analysis of behaviour change techniques. We developed mid-range theories across three areas: maternal and newborn health, nutrition, and violence against women, as well as an overarching mid-range theory on how women’s groups can improve health. Results Our overarching mid-range theory suggested that effective interventions should: build group or community capabilities; focus on health outcomes relevant to group members; and approach health issues modifiable through women’s individual or collective actions. We identified four key lessons for future interventions with women’s groups, including the importance of skilled and remunerated facilitation, sufficient intensity, supply-side strengthening, and the need to adapt delivery during scale up while maintaining fidelity to intervention theory. Conclusions Our experience demonstrated the feasibility of developing mid-range theory from a combination of evidence and insights from practice. It also underscored the importance of community engagement and ongoing research to ‘thicken’ mid-range theories to design effective and scalable women’s groups interventions in India and similar settings. 2024-08-16 2024-09-05T14:39:51Z 2024-09-05T14:39:51Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151994 en Open Access International Society of Global Health Desai, Sapna; Kumar, Neha; Gram, Lu; Hazra, Avishek; Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu; Sivaram, Sharmada et al. 2024.Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health. Journal of Global Health 14. https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.14.04152 |
| spellingShingle | women health low income groups behaviour nutrition maternal and child health violence Desai, Sapna Kumar, Neha Gram, Lu Hazra, Avishek Sanyal, Kaliat Ammu Sivaram, Sharmada Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health |
| title | Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health |
| title_full | Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health |
| title_fullStr | Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health |
| title_short | Individual interventions, collective lessons: Developing mid-range theory on women’s groups to improve health |
| title_sort | individual interventions collective lessons developing mid range theory on women s groups to improve health |
| topic | women health low income groups behaviour nutrition maternal and child health violence |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151994 |
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