Behavior Change Communication
- The Salience of Trust to the Client-Provider Relationship in Post-Ebola Guinea: Findings From a Qualitative Study
This qualitative study in post-Ebola Guinea showed that trust was a salient construct for clients making health care-seeking decisions in a postemergency setting. This analysis argues for global health programs to build trust between clients and the health system by addressing underlying domains of trust as defined by the clients themselves.
- Findings and Implications From an Evaluation of the Gold Star Campaign in Post-Ebola Guinea: The Role of Gender and Education
During public health crises, such as an Ebola epidemic, people may lose trust in local health facilities. Short-duration mass media campaigns can improve attitudes about the quality of health facilities for men and women and can play an important role in encouraging future health service utilization.
- Young People’s Experiences With an Empowerment-Based Behavior Change Intervention to Prevent Sexual Violence in Nairobi Informal Settlements: A Qualitative Study
This study indicates that an empowerment-based, behavioral intervention can contribute to equipping both adolescent girls and boys with concrete skills to recognize and resist sexual violence and can promote positive, nonviolent masculinities among adolescent boys.
- Animal Source Food Social and Behavior Change Communication Intervention Among Girinka Livestock Transfer Beneficiaries in Rwanda: A Cluster Randomized Evaluation
A social and behavior change communication intervention designed to promote consumption of cow’s milk among families that received a cow from a government livestock transfer program increased mothers’ knowledge and awareness of milk consumption. Although intervention exposure was associated with increased frequency of children’s cow’s milk intake, it did not lead to increased consumption or dietary diversity.
- Qualitative Review of Organizational Responses to Rumors in the 2014–2016 Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in Liberia and Sierra Leone
Rumors and misinformation were a challenge in the 2014–2016 Ebola Virus Disease response and continue to be so in the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to understand previous organizational approaches to identifying and addressing rumors to refine and improve these approaches.
- How Donors Can Collaborate to Improve Reach, Quality, and Impact in Social and Behavior Change for Health
To enable greater reach, quality, and impact of investments in social and behavior change, donors need to be intentional in building collaborative relationships that apply proven practices. We offer recommendations for maximizing the impact of donors' investments.
- Real-Time Tracking of COVID-19 Rumors Using Community-Based Methods in Côte d'Ivoire
Addressing rumors is critical for managing and ending a public health emergency. We piloted a system for real-time rumor tracking using community-based collection methods, open-source software, and a rapid coding and visualization process to systematically understand and help actors respond to COVID-19 misinformation in Côte d'Ivoire.
- Counseling Is a Relationship Not Just a Skill: Re-conceptualizing Health Behavior Change Communication by India’s Accredited Social Health Activists
The capacity for India’s community health workers—accredited social health activists (ASHAs)—to promote healthy behaviors must be understood within the health system and community context. Their ability to influence health behaviors depends on the strength of their relationships with families and support they receive from the health system.
- Evidence-Based Process for Prioritizing Positive Behaviors for Promotion: Zika Prevention in Latin America and the Caribbean and Applicability to Future Health Emergency Responses
To maximize the impact of Zika prevention programming efforts, a prioritization process for social and behavior change programming was developed based on a combination of research evidence and programmatic experience. Prioritized behaviors were: application of mosquito repellent, use of condoms, removing unintentional standing water, covering and scrubbing walls of water storage containers, seeking prenatal care, and seeking counseling on family planning if not planning to get pregnant.
- Strengthening Social and Behavior Change in Postabortion Care: A Call to Action for Health Professionals
Social and behavior change approaches have shown promise for addressing the demand- and supply-side challenges in postabortion care. As implementers seek to improve the quality of postabortion care, systematically integrating long-standing models and emerging approaches, including behavioral economics, human-centered design, and attribute-based models of behavior change, can promote positive health outcomes.