A Decade of the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI): Lessons from Using Empowerment Metrics
International Food Policy Research Institute, February 2022
- Food Systems
Events
Using the WEAI, index-based metrics are used to track progress toward women’s empowerment and gender equality in the agriculture sector. Speakers discuss the evolution of the tool, share findings from studies using the metrics, and reflect on what has been accomplished by applying the index in diverse contexts. This is a webinar.
December Is Food Loss and Waste Month on Agrilinks
Agrilinks, December 2022
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
Posts in this series focus on how food loss and waste links to climate, food safety, nutrition, and food security. Contributors discuss the power of technology to improve cold chain and post-harvest handling, advocate for private sector and youth engagement, and provide actionable recommendations for the development community.
Decisions to Start, Strengthen, and Sustain Food Fortification Programs: An Application of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence to Decision (EtD) Framework in Nigeria
Friesen, Valerie M., Mduduzi, N.N. Mbuya, Frank T. Wieringa, et al. Current Developments in Nutrition, January 2022
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Gaps in program design and implementation constrain the impact of food fortification. Using the GRADE EtD framework can strengthen the decision-making processes for health systems and public health, as well as improve program design, delivery, and health impacts.
Declaration on Food Security and Nutrition during the COVID-19 Pandemic
African Union and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, April 2020
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Reports and Tools
Ministers for agriculture from African Union member states outline their priorities for food security and nutrition in the context of COVID-19 in this statement. They explain the challenges that COVID-19 poses to the continent’s agricultural supply chain, particularly in East Africa, which is already facing difficulties caused by a locust outbreak. The document calls for increased attention from international donors to ensure that the current situation does not evolve into a humanitarian crisis.
Decolonizing Global Health: Perspectives from Nurses and Midwives
Seed Global Health Frontline Health Workers Coalition, IntraHealth International, and the Nurses Lead | Midwives Lead, September 2020
- Capacity Strengthening
Events
Panelists discuss the history of communities most affected by interventions being left out of priority setting, funding structures, program design, and implementation. They outline steps to dismantle these inequities and ensure that future policy and programmatic work is community-led, responsive, and people-centered. This is a webinar.
Defining Diet Quality: A Synthesis of Dietary Quality Metrics and Their Validity for the Double Burden of Malnutrition
Miller, Victoria, Patrick Webb, Renata Micha, et al. The Lancet Planetary Health, August 2020
- Food Systems
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Addressing the double burden of malnutrition requires attention to diet-related maternal and child health (MCH) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Identifying a unified global dietary quality metric that can measure the relative contributions of MCH and NCD to malnutrition would help policy and programmatic decision-making.
Degree of Exposure to Interventions Influences Maternal and Child Dietary Practices: Evidence from a Large-Scale Multisectoral Nutrition Program
Suresh, Shalini, Anne Paxton, Bhim Kumari Pun, et al. PLoS ONE. August 26, 2019
- Nutrition and Health Systems
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
Suaahara II is a multi-sectoral program created to combat the high prevalence of maternal and child malnutrition in Nepal. Looking at cross-sectional data from an annual monitoring survey, this review analyzes the association between exposure to Suaahara II and dietary diversity, focusing on three behavior change intervention platforms. The authors concluded that interpersonal communication and community mobilization programs are essential precursors for mass media to effectively change behaviors related to dietary diversity.
Delivering Nutrition Interventions to Women and Children in Conflict Settings: A Systematic Review
Shah, Shailja, Zahra Ali Padhani, Daina Als, et al. BMJ Global Health, April 2021
Research Articles
This review synthesizes data on the delivery, coverage, and effectiveness of nutrition programs in areas of conflict. Available studies focus on micronutrient supplementation, nutrition assessments, and interventions for young children and pregnant and lactating women, but there is little research evaluating coverage or effectiveness of nutrition interventions.
Determinants of Maternal Diet Quality in Winter in the Kyrgyz Republic
Mukuria-Ashe, Altrena, Silvia Alayon, Tim Williams, et al. Global Health: Science and Practice, December 2022
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Dietary diversity in the Kyrgyz Republic is strongly associated with the cultural practices of preserving and storing food during the fall. Identifying and promoting positive cultural practices to support greater diet diversity, engaging food systems, and increasing market access to improve maternal diets are critical.
Determinants of Under-Nutrition among Children under Five Years of Age in Ethiopia
Kassie, Gashu Workneh, Demeke Lakew Workie, BMC Public Health, Vol. 20, Issue 1, p. 399, March 2020
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Responding to the high rate of child undernutrition in Ethiopia, this study analyzed data from Ethiopia’s 2016 Demographic and Health Survey to identify factors associated with undernutrition, including maternal education, source of drinking water, anemic status of the child, and others. The authors conclude that interventions seeking to reduce child undernutrition should focus on improving household wealth and food security, educating mothers and their spouses, improving maternal nutritional status, and increasing mothers' health care access.
Developing and Implementing Quality Assessment Tools for MNCH in Malawi
A Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, March 2021
Events
The Malawian Ministry of Health developed quality improvement assessment tools to help health facilities report on adapted Quality of Care standards for maternal and newborn health and pediatric care. Ministry officials share lessons learned in developing and using the tools. This is a webinar.
Development of the Project-Level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (Pro-WEAI)
Malaapit, Hazel, Agnes Quisumbing, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, et al. World Development, Vol. 122. October 2019
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Researchers recently adapted the widely used Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) to develop a measurement tool that can help agricultural development projects better monitor and measure their impact. The tool restructures and adds indicators to measure project impact across groups and over time. Pro-WEAI is still under development and researchers are continuing to add to and improve on the survey methodology.
Development and Validation of a Health and Nutrition Module for the Project‐Level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro‐WEAI+HN)
Heckert, Jessica, Elena M. Martinez, Greg Seymour, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition, December 2022
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
Adding a health- and nutrition-related agency module to the project-level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI) produced seven distinct indicators. Using these indicators could strengthen the evidence base about how nutrition-sensitive agricultural development programs enhance women's empowerment to improve health and nutrition.
DHS Survey Design: Modules (FAQ)
The DHS Program, n.d
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Reports and Tools
Several topic-specific questionnaire modules can be added to the standard DHS questionnaire modules. These include those focusing on accident and injury, adult and maternal mortality, disability, domestic violence, female genital cutting, fistula, the food insecurity experience scale, newborn care, non-communicable diseases, out-of-pocket health expenditures, and maternal health care. This document summarizes the benefits and limitations of doing so.
Diet Assessment Decision Tool
USAID Advancing Nutrition, June 2022
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Reports and Tools
The tool helps practitioners better understand dietary patterns and nutrient intake, which are critical to designing, monitoring, and evaluating efforts to improve diets. Diet assessments and related interventions should focus on children 6–23 months of age and pregnant women, as evidence shows these groups are vulnerable to malnutrition.
Diet Quality Over Time Is Associated with Better Development in Rural Nepali Children
Miller, Miller, Laurie C., Sumanta Neupane, Neena Joshi, et al. Journal of Maternal and Child Nutrition, e12964, February 2020
- Early Childhood Development
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
To better understand the links between diet quality and developmental status in resource-poor settings, the authors of this study explored different aspects of dietary quality and child development among children in a western Nepali community. Analysis of dietary diversity, animal-source food, and “Ages and Stages Questionnaire” scores led researchers to recommend that programs targeting child development also consider home environmental quality along with long-term diet quality.
Dietary Diversity and Undernutrition in Children Aged 6–23 Months in Sub-Saharan Africa
Aboagye, Richard Gyan, Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, et al. Nutrients, September 2021
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Given the role that dietary diversity plays in the health status of children, implementing nutrition-specific interventions and strengthening existing interventions to improve infant and young child feeding practices is particularly important in countries where the prevalence of adequate minimum dietary diversity is low and undernutrition is high.
Different Combinations of Behavior Change Interventions and Frequencies of Interpersonal Contacts Are Associated with Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam
Kim, Sunny S., Phuong Hong Nguyen, Lan Mai Tran, et al. Current Developments in Nutrition, Vol. 4, February 2020
- Nutrition and Health Systems
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
This study examined endline survey data from intervention evaluations in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam to assess how different combinations of social and behavior change communication interventions and varying levels of exposure to the interventions affected infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. The authors found that 1) the level of exposure to interventions mattered, but the effects varied among mothers across the three countries, and 2) the combination of interventions required to achieve IYCF behavior change was context specific.
Different Doses, Forms, and Frequencies of Zinc Supplementation for the Prevention of Diarrhea and Promotion of Linear Growth among Young Bangladeshi Children: A Six-Arm, Randomized, Community-Based Efficacy Trial
Islam, M. Munirul, Robert E. Black, Nancy F. Krebs, et al. The Journal of Nutrition, January 2022
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
Researchers evaluating the effects of doses, durations, and frequencies of zinc supplementation found no differences in the incidence or prevalence of diarrhea across five intervention groups in Bangladesh. The decline in children’s linear growth was somewhat smaller in one intervention group compared with the placebo group.
Differential Influences of Early Growth and Social Factors on Young Children’s Cognitive Performance in Four Low-and-Middle-Income Birth Cohorts (Brazil, Guatemala, Philippines, and South Africa)
Richter, L.M., F. M. Orkin, L.S. Adair. et al. SSM-Population Health, December 2020
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
Research demonstrates that parental education and household resources have a greater impact on childhood cognition than birth weight and early linear growth. Improving children’s cognitive functioning requires multi-sectoral interventions to strengthen parental education and economic wellbeing.
Distance and Blended Learning Guide: Parts 1&2
USAID MOMENTUM, August 2021
Reports and Tools
The guide provides tools for implementers to shift trainings to a virtual format and discusses how to assess training resources, participant needs, technology access and skills, and impacts and outcomes.
Distance and Blended Learning, Part 1: An Overview and Introduction to Assessing Resources, Needs, and Capacities
USAID MOMENTUM, April 2021
Reports and Tools
This guide provides an overview of different kinds of distance and blended learning; insights about the advantages and challenges of each; and tools for conducting inventories, assessments, and surveys prior to implementing virtual training. It provides guidance on how to assess training resources, participants’ needs, and technology access and skills, and outlines key considerations and steps to transition in-person trainings to virtual ones.
Do Effects of Early Life Interventions on Linear Growth Correspond to Effects on Neurobehavioural Development? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Prado, Elizabeth L., Leila M. Larson, Katherine Cox, et al. The Lancet, Vol. 7, Issue 10, October 10, 2019
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
Linear growth and child development are often assumed to have common determinants. The authors assess this assumption through a systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions focused on length-for-age or height-for-age Z scores and child development outcomes for children 0-5 years old and during pregnancy. The researchers found that the determinants of linear growth and neurodevelopment are only partly shared; therefore, interventions should target determinants of both, if children are to thrive.
Do Engaging Fathers and Bundling Nutrition and Parenting Interventions Improve Young Child Diets and Development and Promote Gender Equality?
Global Communities, March 2022
- Early Childhood Development
Events
Bundled interventions produced greater benefits for child development, child diets, nutrition and parenting practices, and household gender equality than nutrition-only interventions. Engaging couples benefited child diets, maternal and paternal care practices, household gender equality, and women’s empowerment more than interventions for mothers only. This is a webinar with accompanying materials.