The Effectiveness Of A Community-based Video-facilitated Parenting Intervention For Child Development Integrated Into Routine Maternal And Child Care Services In India: Study Protocol

Detailed Summary

Aalana Palan designed, implemented and evaluated an integrated early child development \& nutrition intervention promoting nurturing care in the first 1000 days of life in Telangana, India. It was developed in collaboration with UNICEF and the Department of Women Development and Child Welfare Telangana. Aalana Palana in Telugu - implies a caring and nurturing environment provided by caregivers to their children. It promotes an inclusive environment for adequate nutrition, responsive and sensitive caregiving including opportunities for learning. Aalana Palana draws from the Nurturing Care Framework that provides guidance on giving children the best start in their lives. Aalana Palana was developed through extensive community engagement, using culturally relevant and locally adaptable video content. This participatory approach ensured its acceptability and contributed to its success in addressing critical gaps in child growth and development. It was delivered entirely within the existing Integrated Child Development Scheme which ensured its sustainability. The innovative use of facilitated video-viewing allowed for standardized delivery of evidence-based practices, around optimal nutrition and parenting during the first 1000 days, reducing the burden on frontline workers while improving caregiver engagement and comprehension. This intervention was used by Anganwadi workers to conduct group and individual counselling sessions with caregivers in their communities. Aalana Palana implemented a transition from traditional paper-based counselling sessions to a video-based, discussion and demonstration led counselling model. Age specific videos promoted responsive and sensitive parenting, early learning opportunities for children \& include desired nutritional practices for young children \& pregnant women. The content not only describes 'WHAT' behaviours caregiver should adopt, 'HOW' they could include these behaviours in their routines but also 'WHY' a particular behaviour is important for their child's development. A key strength of this study is its policy relevance. Aalana Palana has been incorporated into the ICDS guidelines for Supplementary Nutrition Program in Telangana, providing a blueprint for scaling similar programs across the country and in other LMICs.

Study Details

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Interventions