USAID Advancing Nutrition develops, curates, packages, and shares multi-sectoral nutrition knowledge to help you stay on top of developments and evidence in global nutrition programming.
Strengthening Nutrition Activities through Gender Integration
Publication Date:
Social and Behavior Change and GenderGender
A brief informed by gender analyses considers how gender differences may affect nutrition services and programming. A key aspect of the social and behavior change work of USAID Advancing Nutrition includes unpacking and responding to the social and gender norms that influence nutrition.
Using Research to Design a Social and Behavior Change Strategy for Multi-Sectoral Nutrition
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderBehavior Change for Nutrition
High-quality social and behavior change (SBC) design requires multiple steps, beginning with prioritizing behaviors. After prioritizing behaviors and conducting a desk review and formative research (if necessary), nutrition SBC programmers can use this tool to organize and distill the findings into an evidence-based SBC strategy that leads to optimal nutrition behaviors.
Improving Women and Children’s Diets in Emergency ContextsSocial and Behavior Change and Gender
This tool helps nutrition program planners and implementers achieve effective social and behavior change by sharpening their focus on fewer behaviors. Tables and instructions guide users through the four steps needed to prioritize behaviors.
Définir les compétences en matière de changement social et comportemental pour une nutrition multisectorielle
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Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Cette liste de 52 compétences du CSC guide les managers et les praticiens du CSC pour définir les compétences les plus pertinentes et identifier les lacunes dans les compétences de leurs équipes. Ces compétences décrivent les connaissances, les attitudes et les aptitudes dont le personnel doit faire preuve pour concevoir, mettre en œuvre et évaluer les programmes de CSC.
Community Health Worker Competency List for Nutrition Social and Behavior Change
Publication Date:
Capacity StrengtheningIdentification and Use of Nutrition CompetenciesNutrition in Humanitarian ContextsSocial and Behavior Change and GenderProgram DesignResilience and Food Security Activity (RFSA)
This resource identifies 38 competencies that are important for community health workers (CHWs) to demonstrate in order to carry out high-quality social and behavior change (SBC) activities for improved nutrition. Nutrition project managers and Ministries of Health can use this list as a starting point for assessing, developing, and evaluating CHW SBC skills.
Getting Food Systems Right from the Start: How They are Failing Young Children and What We Can Do About It?
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Infant and young child feeding practices are normally seen as individual behavior health practices to be protected by health systems interventions. However, globalization of the baby food industry, and the shift of labor and production out of the home, has shaped feeding decisions.
Stronger With Breastmilk Only Initiative: Catalog of Resources
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderBreastfeeding
The catalog provides strategic guidance and tools to design, implement, and monitor a “Stronger with Breastmilk Only” initiative and stresses that initiatives, regional advocacy, and communication products consider country context. It includes a guide for developing an evidence-driven social and behavioral change strategy. It is available in English and French.
The Quality of Maternal Nutrition and Infant Feeding Counselling during Antenatal Care in South Asia
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
There are evidence gaps about the quality of maternal nutrition and infant feeding counseling during antenatal care and the effectiveness of approaches to improve quality. Research suggests that unequal access to services, limited capacity-strengthening opportunities for frontline workers, and the short duration and frequency of counseling contracts constrain quality.
Engaging Family Members in Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition Activities in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review
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Nutrition and Health SystemsSocial and Behavior Change and GenderAdolescent NutritionBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
Recent guidelines recommend involving fathers, grandmothers, and other family members in maternal and child nutrition programs, but there is a gap in understanding on how to implement such interventions.
Social and Behavior Change Resources for Women's Healthy Diets: 5 Gaps and Recommendations
Publication Date:
Social and Behavior Change and GenderMaternal Nutrition
To explore the gaps in social and behavior change (SBC) resources for women’s healthy diets, USAID Advancing Nutrition identified quality SBC tools and resources through document review and expert interviews. In addition, we identified five key gaps in existing SBC resources and five recommendations for future research and SBC resource development.
Exploring the Influence of Social Norms on Complementary Feeding: A Scoping Review of Observational, Intervention, and Effectiveness Studies
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Social and Behavior Change and Gender
The influence of social norms on child feeding is recognized, but guidance is lacking on how to address norms and related perceptions that hinder or support positive nutrition practices.
Stories from the Forefront: Interviews with Social and Behavior Change Communications Media ProfessionalsStories from the Forefront: Interviews with Social and Behavior Change Communications Media Professionals
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Social and Behavior Change and Gender
This report presents stories from top practitioners in social and behavior change media to help guide more effective SBC media productions and implement more sustainable programs. Themes emerged about the effectiveness of human connection and storytelling.
Program Guidance Engaging Family Members in Improving Maternal and Child Nutrition
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
Due to their influence on decision-making, there is a strong case for engaging fathers, grandparents, and other key family members in maternal and child nutrition programs. Their involvement increases awareness of recommended practices and can increase supportive attitudes and behaviors including exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices.
Counseling Is a Relationship Not Just a Skill: Re-Conceptualizing Health Behavior Change Communication by India’s Accredited Social Health Activists
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
The ability of accredited social health activists to improve health outcomes depends on their relationships with families and the support from the health system. Training to improve interpersonal communication and develop strong relationships with community members will improve their efficacy as health behavior change communicators.
Bringing Greater Precision to Interactions between Community Health Workers and Households to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes in India
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Social and Behavior Change and GenderBreastfeedingInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)Maternal Nutrition
Community health worker (CHW) presence, number, and timing of visits, counseling, and behavior change messaging strategies, and focus on specific household members are associated with recommended maternal and newborn care practices, including early initiation of and exclusive breastfeeding.
Achieving High-Quality Social and Behavior Change: New Tools for Quality Multi-sectoral Nutrition Programming Webinar
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Social and Behavior Change and Gender
We know that quality social and behavior change (SBC) is crucial to achieving nutrition outcomes; however, high-quality nutrition SBC is challenging to put into practice. Nutrition is complex, often requiring multiple sectors and actors to align and harmonize efforts that are focused on behaviors that require multiple daily actions and change as a child ages.
Program Guidance: Engaging Family Members in Improving Maternal and Child Nutrition
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Improving Women and Children’s Diets in Emergency ContextsSocial and Behavior Change and GenderGender Equality and Women’s EmpowermentGenderInfant and Young Child Nutrition (IYCN)
This guidance translates research findings into practical recommendations for interventions that effectively engage family members in the care and feeding of children. You will find recommendations for engaging family members at key points in the program cycle in ways that support mothers and other primary caregivers and avoid negative consequences.
Social and Behavior Change Helps Improve Nutrition
Publication Date:
Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Multi-sectoral social and behavior change for nutrition can take many forms, from agriculture extension to health counseling and much, much more. This infographic describes the different types of social and behavior change needed by different actors to sustain improved nutrition outcomes.