From Mother to Child: the effect of women's group interventions on infant mortality in developing countries Público

Abstract

Although child mortality rates have more than halved since 1960 (from 20 million in 1960 to a little under 10 million children in 2006), there is still work to be done if the global rate of under five mortality will be decreased by two thirds by the year 2015. In the Department of Huehuetenango, the situation is especially dim. Referred to as the "triangle of death", infant mortality and malnutrition rates are the highest in this area of Guatemala, with 68% of children under the age of three being malnourished. As a response to the high rates of child mortality and morbidity, the organizations Curamericas Guatemala and Sistema Integral de Atención de Salud (SIAS) in collaboration with the organization, Global Health Education and Economic Development (Global H.E.E.D) created a women's group intervention.

Women's groups are used widely in developing countries as a mechanism to deliver maternal and child health interventions. However, a paucity of information exists about their effectiveness. This systematic review and meta-analysis will assess the effect of these groups on neonatal mortality, perinatal mortality and stillbirth rates. Additionally, an illustrative case study will be presented on how women's groups are currently being utilized in Calhuitz, Guatemala.

A search of the literature was done to ascertain the effectiveness of women's groups in ensuring better health outcomes for children in developing countries. To carry out this systematic review, the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group (CHERG) review guidelines were utilized. The search engines used were PubMed, Popline, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register in the Cochrane Library. A manual literature search was also done, utilizing the reference sections of abstracted articles. To quantify the effect of women's group interventions on neonatal mortality (NMR), perinatal mortality and stillbirth rates, a meta-analysis was also performed using Review Manager 5.1. The quality of evidence for women's group interventions was also assessed. Information gathered from the meta-analysis and systematic review guided recommendations for the intervention in Guatemala.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1

BACKGROUND ...........................................................................................................................3

METHOD..................................................................................................................................13

RESULTS..................................................................................................................................22

DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................................35

EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD: WOMEN'S SELF HELP GROUPS IN CALHUITZ,

GUATEMALA.............................................................................................................................45

REFERENCES............................................................................................................................55

APPENDICES............................................................................................................................62

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Hubert Department of Global Health
Degree	MPH
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology Psychology, Behavioral Health Sciences, Public Health
Palabra Clave	stillbirth perinatal mortality neonatal mortality participatory approach support groups women's groups infant health community based intervention
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Girard, Amy Webb, Emory University
Partnering Agencies	Community-based non-profit organization (e.g., AID Atlanta) Does not apply (no collaborating organization)

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