Is the maternal health voucher scheme associated with increasing routine immunization coverage? Experience from Bangladesh.

Bangladesh initiated the Maternal Health Voucher Scheme (MHVS) in 2007 to improve maternal and child health practices and bring equity to the mainstream of health systems by reducing financial and institutional barriers. In this study, we investigated whether the MHVS has an association with immunization coverage in a rural area of Bangladesh. Between 30 October 2016 and 15 June 2017, we carried out a cross-sectional survey in two low performing areas in terms of immunization coverage- Chattogram (erstwhile Chittagong division) and Sylhet division of Bangladesh. We calculated the coverage of fully immunized children (FIC) for 1151 children aged 12-23 months of age. We compared the coverage of FIC between children whose mothers enrolled in MHVS and children whose mother did not. We analyzed immunization coverage using crude odds ratio (OR) and adjusted OR (aOR) from binary logistic regression models. The overall coverage of FIC was 86%. Ninety-three percent children whose mothers were MHVS members were fully immunized whereas the percentage was 84% for the children of mothers who were not enrolled in MHVS. Multivariate analysis also shows that FIC coverage was higher for children whose mothers enrolled in MHVS compared to those children whose mothers did not; the aOR was 2.03 (95% confidence interval 1.11-3.71). MHVS provides a window for non-targeted benefits of childhood vaccination. Providing health education to pregnant mothers during prenatal care may motivate them to immunize their children. Programmes targeted for mothers during pregnancy, childbirth and post-natal may further increase utilization of priority health services such as childhood immunization.

The Effectiveness of a Web-Based Application for a Balanced Diet and Healthy Weight Among Indonesian Pregnant Women: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women have self-declared that they have difficulties in estimating nutrient intakes. The Nutrition Information System for Indonesian Pregnant Women (SISFORNUTRIMIL) application was created as a dietary assessment and calorie-counting tool to guide pregnant women to eat the right portion sizes for each meal. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the SISFORNUTRIMIL application in helping users achieve a balanced diet and healthy maternal weight gain in comparison to nonusers in Indonesia. METHODS:  First-pregnancy women in the second trimester aged 19-30 years (N=112) participated in the randomized controlled trial. Recruited women who were eligible and consented to participate in the study were allocated into the intervention group, or application user (n=56), and the control group, or application nonuser (n=56). The intervention recommended that pregnant women consume at least 5 food groups and calculate a recommended average portion size for 12 weeks. Both groups were self-monitored and recorded their intake in food records for 3 days every week. The dietary diversity consumed, macro- and micronutrient intake, and maternal weight gain were assessed pre- and postintervention. Data were collected three times during the intervention. Diversity food consumption was measured by the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women of reproductive age. Furthermore, the Indonesian recommended dietary allowances were used to refer to and validate appropriate energy and nutrient amounts. Independent sample t test was used to compare differences between the intervention and control groups. RESULTS: The mean dietary diversity score for the application user group (7.79, SD 1.20) was significantly greater than for the application nonuser group (7.02, SD 1.39; adjusted mean difference 0.77, 95% CI 0.28-1.25; d=0.28; P=.005). Macro- and micronutrient intake was significantly more in accordance with the dietary recommendations for the user group compared to the control group, including an energy daily intake of 156.88 kcal (95% CI 114.52-199.23; d=-1.39; P=.002), 102.43 g of carbohydrates (95% CI -125.2 to -79.60; d=-1.68; P=.02), 14.33 g of protein (95% CI 11.40-17.25; d=1.86; P<.001), and 10.96 g of fat (95% CI -13.71 to -8.20; d=-1.49; P<.001). Furthermore, there was a significantly higher intake of daily vitamins and minerals in the intervention group than in the control group. Other results showed that maternal weight gain in the intervention group was in accordance with the parameters of healthy weight gain. CONCLUSIONS:  Recording food intake using the application was significantly effective in improving the dietary diversity consumed, improving adequate energy and nutrient intake, and producing healthy maternal weight during pregnancy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN42690828; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN42690828.