Persistence and heterogeneity of the effects of educating mothers to improve child immunisation uptake: Experimental evidence from Uttar Pradesh in India.

Childhood vaccinations are among the most cost-effective health interventions. Yet, in India, where immunisation services are widely available free of charge, a substantial proportion of children remain unvaccinated. We revisit households 30 months after a randomised experiment of a health information intervention designed to educate mothers on the benefits of child vaccination in Uttar Pradesh, India. We find that the large short-term effects on the uptake of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus and measles vaccination were sustained at 30 months, suggesting the intervention did not simply bring forward vaccinations. We apply causal forests and find that the intervention increased vaccination uptake, but that there was substantial variation in the magnitude of the estimated effects. We conclude that characterising those who benefited most and conversely those who benefited least provides policy-makers with insights on how the intervention worked, and how the targeting of households could be improved.

From projects to systems: Being explicit about assumptions in systems-level theories of change.

Projects and programs have long been the primary instrument for achieving development goals in low- and middle-income countries. One criticism of the project-focused approach is its failure to focus on broader system-level changes. This paper explores how Mayne's COM-B Theory of Change model can enhance the evaluation of how projects and system-level investments can lead to system-level changes, especially in a development context. Using a real-world example, we offer several evaluation questions to initiate thinking about what might be needed to extend the ideas in the COM-B theory of change to facilitate better interrogation of systems-level change efforts.

Ag and Au Nanoparticles as Color Indicators for Monomer/Micelle-Nanoparticle Interactions.

Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) were used as color indicators to determine the monomer/micelle adsorption on the NP surface. A simple methodology based on the color change of Ag/Au NPs upon interacting with surface-active molecules was developed. A contrasting color change occurred when NPs interact with the monomer/micelle. This was demonstrated by monitoring the adsorption behavior of a series of Gemini surfactants. UV-visible measurements showed a large change in the intensity and wavelength of Ag/Au NP absorbance upon the surface adsorption of the monomer/micelle of Gemini surfactants. The mechanism of surface adsorption and molecular orientation on the solid-liquid interface of NPs was determined by performing the FT-IR and XPS measurements. Results demonstrated that sharp color changes from yellow to red for Ag NPs and red to purple for Au NPs happened when the Gemini surfactant monomer/micelle adsorbs on the NP surface. This colorimeter-based methodology highlighted the applicability of Ag/Au NPs in complex media where such NPs frequently encounter surface-active molecules.

Hemolytic Response of Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles at the Interface and in Bulk: Extraction of Blood Cells by Magnetic Nanoparticles.

Surface-active and water-soluble magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in the presence of a series of amphiphilic molecules of different functional groups to determine the hemolytic response and their ability to extract blood cells across the interface and aqueous bulk while maintaining minimum hemolysis. Amphiphilic molecules such as Gemini surfactants of strong hydrophobicity and low hydrophilic-lipophilic balance produced surface-active magnetic NPs, which were highly cytotoxic even when placed at the blood suspension (aqueous)-air interface. A similar behavior was shown by water-soluble magnetic NPs produced using monomeric ionic and nonionic surfactants and different amino acids. The NPs produced using mild biological surfactants and mono- and oligosaccharides of the same functional group proved to be excellent blood cell extractors with minimum hemolysis. α/ß-cyclodextrin and dextrose-stabilized magnetic NPs induced negligible hemolysis and extracted more than 50% of blood cells. The results showed that nontoxic magnetic NPs are excellent blood cell extractors from the blood suspension when tagged with amphiphilic molecules possessing good biocompatibility with cell membranes without inducing hemolysis. The work highlights the biological applicability of nontoxic magnetic NPs at biointerfaces and in blood suspensions.

Colloidal Stabilization of Sodium Dilauraminocystine for Selective Nanoparticle-Nanoparticle Interactions: Their Screening and Extraction by Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles.

Nanoparticle-nanoparticle (NP-NP) interactions between Au and Ag NPs were studied by using sodium dilauraminocystine (SDLC)- and Gemini surfactant-stabilized NPs to demonstrate the unique NP surface adsorption behavior of SDLC in controlling and mimicking such interactions in complex mixtures. They were significantly affected by the spacer as well as the polymeric nature of the head group of Gemini surfactants. A longer spacer impeded while a polymeric head group facilitated the interactions. The Au-Ag NPs interactions in an aqueous phase were also controlled by placing surface-active magnetic NPs at an aqueous-air interface, which interacted with either or both kinds of interacting NPs in an aqueous phase and reduced their ability to interact with each other. On the other hand, water-soluble zwitterionic magnetic NPs proved to be excellent extractants of both Au and Ag NPs from the aqueous phase. Extraction efficiency depended on the strength of interactions between the water-soluble magnetic NPs and aqueous-solubilized Au and/or Ag NPs.

Measuring quality of family planning counselling and its effects on uptake of contraceptives in public health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, India: A cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Quality of care in family planning traditionally focuses on promoting awareness of the broad array of contraceptive options rather than on the quality of interpersonal communication offered by family planning (FP) providers. There is a growing emphasis on person-centered contraceptive counselling, care that is respectful and focuses on meeting the reproductive needs of a couple, rather than fertility regulation. Despite the increasing global focus on person-centered care, little is known about the quality of FP care provided in low- and middle- income countries like India. This study involves the development and psychometric testing of a Quality of Family Planning Counselling (QFPC) measure, and assessment of its associations with contraceptives selected by clients subsequently. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional survey data from N = 237 women following their FP counselling in 120 public health facilities (District Hospitals and Community Health Centers) sampled across the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The study captured QFPC, contraceptives selected by clients post-counselling, as well as client and provider characteristics. Based on formative research and using Principal Component Analysis, we developed a 13-item measure of quality of FP counselling. We used adjusted regression models to assess the association between QFPC and contraceptive selected post-counselling. RESULTS: The QFPC measure demonstrated good internal reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.80) as well as criterion validity, as indicated by client reports of high QFPC being significantly more likely for clients with trained versus untrained counsellors. We found that each point increase in QFPC, including increasing quality of counselling, is associated with higher odds of clients selecting an intrauterine device (IUD) (aRR:1.03; 95% CI:1.01-1.05) and sterilization (aRR:1.06; 95% CI:1.03-1.08), compared to no method selected. CONCLUSIONS: High-quality FP counselling is associated with clients subsequently selecting more effective contraceptives, including IUD and sterilization, in India. High-quality counselling is also more likely among FP-trained providers, highlighting the need for focused training and monitoring of quality care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CTRI/2015/09/006219. Registered 28 September 2015.

Avoiding Hemolytic Anemia by Understanding the Effect of the Molecular Architecture of Gemini Surfactants on Hemolysis.

Hemolytic behavior of a series of different categories of Gemini surfactants was determined in their low concentration range. Cationic Gemini surfactants of different molecular architectures prove to be highly cytotoxic even at 0.1 mM. Anionic and amino acid-based Gemini surfactants were minimally cytotoxic, although their toxicity was concentration-dependent. With respect to monomeric surfactants of comparable hydrocarbon chain lengths, cationic Gemini surfactants were much more toxic than anionic Gemini surfactants. Incubation temperature was another important parameter that significantly drove the hemolysis irrespective of the molecular structure of the surfactant. Results indicated that the surface activity or liquid-blood cell membrane adsorption tendency of a surfactant molecule determined the degree of hemolytic anemia. Greater surface activity induced greater cytotoxicity, especially when the surfactant possessed a stronger ability to interact with the membrane proteins through hydrophilic interactions. That provided cationic Gemini surfactants a higher ability for hemolytic anemia because they were able to interact with an electronegative cell membrane with favorable interactions in comparison to anionic or amino acid-based Gemini surfactants. These findings are expected to help in designing surface-active drugs with a suitable molecular architecture that can avoid hemolytic anemia.

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence: Findings from Slums of Four Major Metro Cities of India.

There are limited studies on COVID vaccine confidence at the household level in urban slums, which are at high risk of COVID-19 transmission due to overcrowding and poor living conditions. The objective was to understand the reasons influencing COVID-19 vaccine confidence, in terms of barriers and enablers faced by communities in urban slums and informal settlements in four major metro cities in India. A mixed method approach was adopted, where in field studies were conducted during April-May 2021. First, a survey of at least 50 subjects was conducted among residents of informal urban settlements who had not taken any dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi; second, a short interview with five subjects who had taken at least one dose of the vaccine in each of the four cities to understand the factors that contributed to positive behaviour and, finally, an in-depth interview of at least 3 key informants in each city to ascertain the vaccination pattern in the communities. The reasons were grouped under contextual, individual/group and vaccine/vaccination specific issues. The most frequent reason (27.7%) was the uncertainty of getting the vaccine. The findings show the need for increasing effectiveness of awareness campaigns, accessibility and the convenience of vaccination, especially among vulnerable groups, to increase the uptake.

Associations between recent intimate partner violence and receipt and quality of perinatal health services in Uttar Pradesh.

BACKGROUND: India suffers some of the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rates in the world. Intimate partner violence (IPV) can be a barrier to utilization of perinatal care, and has been associated with poor maternal and neonatal health outcomes. However, studies that assess the relationship between IPV and perinatal health care often focus solely on receipt of services, and not the quality of the services received. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Data were collected in 2016-2017 from a representative sample of women (15-49yrs) in Uttar Pradesh, India who had given birth within the previous 12 months (N = 5020), including use of perinatal health services and past 12 months experiences of physical and sexual IPV. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed whether physical or sexual IPV were associated with perinatal health service utilization and quality. Reports of IPV were not associated with odds of receiving antenatal care or a health worker home visit during the third trimester, but physical IPV was associated with fewer diagnostic tests during antenatal visits (beta = -0.30), and fewer health topics covered during home visits (beta = -0.44). Recent physical and recent sexual IPV were both associated with decreased odds of institutional delivery (physical IPV AOR 0.65; sexual IPV AOR 0.61), and recent sexual IPV was associated with leaving a delivery facility earlier than recommended (AOR = 1.87). Neither form of IPV was associated with receipt of a postnatal home visit, but recent physical IPV was associated with fewer health topics discussed during such visits (beta = -0.26). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, reduced quantity and quality of perinatal health care were associated with recent IPV experiences. In cases where IPV was not related to care receipt, IPV remained associated with diminished care quality. Additional study to understand the mechanisms underlying associations between IPV and care qualities is required to inform health services.

Photophysical behavior of heme group: Unfolding of hemoglobin and myoglobin in the presence of Gemini surfactants of different molecular architectures.

Fluorescence studies were performed to determine the photophysical behavior of heme group in the presence of cationic Gemini surfactants of different architectures. Both hemoglobin and myoglobin were used to understand the heme group interactions with Gemini surfactants under the influence of temperature variation and were compared with homologous monomeric surfactants. The results were also supplemented from the size and zeta potential measurements of both proteins. Gemini surfactants showed marked effect on the unfolding behavior of hemoglobin that mainly contributed by the stronger hydrophobic interactions of double hydrocarbon chains as well as methylene spacer in the head group region with the hydrophobic domains of hemoglobin. Myoglobin with single polypeptide chain did not show similar unfolding behavior in the presence of Gemini surfactants rather it was readily solubilized in the surfactant solution and that too in the presence of monomeric surfactants rather than Gemini surfactants. The results highlighted the mechanistic aspects by which water soluble globular proteins interact with amphiphilic molecules of different functionalities and thus, helped to predict the interactions of both hemoglobin and myoglobin with the complex biological molecules possessing similar functionalities.

Unintended pregnancy and maternal health complications: cross-sectional analysis of data from rural Uttar Pradesh, India.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the potential association between unintended pregnancy and maternal health complications. Secondarily, we test whether antenatal care (ANC) and community health worker (CHW) visits moderate the observed association between unintended pregnancy and maternal health complications. METHODS: Cross sectional data were collected using a multistage sampling design to identify women who had a live birth in the last 12 months across 25 highest risk districts of Uttar Pradesh (N = 3659). Participants were surveyed on demographics, unintendedness of last pregnancy, receipt of ANC clinical visits and community outreach during pregnancy, and maternal complications. Regression models described the relations between unintended pregnancy and maternal complications. To determine if receipt of ANC and CHW visits in pregnancy moderated associations between unintended pregnancy and maternal complications, we used the Mantel-Haenzel risk estimation test and stratified logistic models testing interactions of unintended pregnancy and receipt of health services to predict maternal complications. RESULTS: Around one-fifth of the women (16.9%) reported that their previous pregnancy was unintended. Logistic regression analyses revealed that unintended pregnancy was significantly associated with maternal complications- pre-eclampsia (AOR:2.06; 95% CI:1.57-2.72), postpartum hemorrhage (AOR:1.46; 95% CI: 1.01-2.13) and postpartum pre-eclampsia (AOR:2.34; 95% CI:1.47-3.72). Results from the Mantel Haenszel test indicated that both ANC and CHW home visit in pregnancy significantly affect the association between unintended pregnancy and postpartum hemorrhage (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Unintended pregnancy is associated with increased risk for maternal health complications, but provision of ANC clinical visits and CHW home visits in pregnancy may be able to reduce potential effects of unintended pregnancy on maternal health.

Coverage and equity of maternal and newborn health care in rural Nigeria, Ethiopia and India.

BACKGROUND: Despite progress toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, a large burden of maternal and neonatal mortality persists for the most vulnerable people in rural areas. We assessed coverage, coverage change and inequity for 8 maternal and newborn health care indicators in parts of rural Nigeria, Ethiopia and India. METHODS: We examined coverage changes and inequity in 2012 and 2015 in 3 high-burden populations where multiple actors were attempting to improve outcomes. We conducted cluster-based household surveys using a structured questionnaire to collect 8 priority indicators, disaggregated by relative household socioeconomic status. Where there was evidence of a change in coverage between 2012 and 2015, we used binomial regression models to assess whether the change reduced inequity. RESULTS: In 2015, we interviewed women with a birth in the previous 12 months in Gombe, Nigeria (n = 1100 women), Ethiopia (n = 404) and Uttar Pradesh, India (n = 584). Among the 8 indicators, 2 positive coverage changes were observed in each of Gombe and Uttar Pradesh, and 5 in Ethiopia. Coverage improvements occurred equally for all socioeconomic groups, with little improvement in inequity. For example, in Ethiopia, coverage of facility delivery almost tripled, increasing from 15% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9%-25%) to 43% (95% CI 33%-54%). This change was similar across socioeconomic groups (p = 0.2). By 2015, the poorest women had about the same facility delivery coverage as the least poor women had had in 2012 (32% and 36%, respectively), but coverage for the least poor had increased to 60%. INTERPRETATION: Although coverage increased equitably because of various community-based interventions, underlying inequities persisted. Action is needed to address the needs of the most vulnerable women, particularly those living in the most rural areas.

Applications of Molecular Structural Aspects of Gemini Surfactants in Reducing Nanoparticle-Nanoparticle Interactions.

Oppositely charged nanoparticle (NP)-nanoparticle (NP) interactions were studied by titrating sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) stabilized NPs with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) stabilized NPs at constant temperature with the help of UV-visible and dynamic light scattering measurements. CTAB stabilized NPs were systematically replaced with a series of cationic gemini surfactants to demonstrate the effect of head group and hydrocarbon tail modifications on the electrostatic interactions with SDS stabilized NPs. Introduction of the dimeric gemini head group (alkylammonium or imidazolium), spacer length, and double tail hydrocarbon length all significantly reduced the NP-NP interactions and delayed their salting-out process. They lead to the formation of stable colloidal aqueous solubilized NP-NP complexes. The results concluded that NP-NP interactions can be overcome if appropriately stabilized NPs are used to maintain their colloidal stability so as to achieve maximum applicability.

The effect of report cards on the coverage of maternal and neonatal health care: a factorial, cluster-randomised controlled trial in Uttar Pradesh, India.

BACKGROUND: Report cards are a prominent strategy to increase the ability of citizens to express their view, improve public accountability, and foster community participation in the provision of health services in low-income and middle-income countries. In India, social accountability interventions that incorporate report cards and community meetings have been implemented at scale, attracting considerable policy attention, but there is little evidence on their effectiveness in improving health. We aimed to evaluate the effect of report cards, which contain information on village-level indicators of maternal and neonatal health care, and participatory meetings targeted at health providers and community members (including local leaders) on the coverage of maternal and neonatal health care in Uttar Pradesh, India. METHODS: We conducted a repeated cross-sectional, 2 × 2 factorial, cluster-randomised controlled trial, in which each cluster was a village (rural) or ward (urban). The clusters were randomly assigned to one of four groups: the provider group, in which we shared report cards and held participatory meetings with providers of maternal and neonatal health services; the community group, in which we shared report cards and held participatory meetings with community members (including local leaders); the providers and community group, in which report cards were targeted at both health providers and the community; and the control group, in which report cards were not shared with anyone. We generated these report cards by collating data from household surveys and shared the report cards with the recipients (as determined by their assigned groups) in participatory meetings. The primary outcome was the proportion of women who had at least four antenatal care visits (ie, attended a clinic or were visited at home by a health-care worker) during their last pregnancy. We measured outcomes with cross-sectional household surveys that were taken at baseline, at a first follow-up (after 8 months of the intervention), and at a second follow-up (21 months after the start of the intervention). Analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN11070792. FINDINGS: We surveyed eligible women for the baseline survey between Jan 13, and Feb 5, 2015. We then randomly assigned 44 clusters to the provider group, 45 clusters to the community group, 45 clusters to the provider and community group, and 44 clusters to the control group. Report cards of collated survey data were provided to recipient groups, as per their random allocation, in October, 2015, and in September, 2016. We ran the first follow-up survey between May 16 and June 10, 2016. We ran the second follow-up survey between June 18 and July 18, 2017. We measured the primary outcome in 3133 women (795 in the provider group, 781 in the community group, 798 in the provider and community group, and 759 in the control group) who gave birth during implementation of the intervention, between Feb 1, 2016, and July 18, 2017 (the end of the second follow-up survey). The report card intervention did not significantly affect the proportion of women who had at least four antenatal care visits (provider vs non-provider: odds ratio 0·85, 95% CI 0·65-1·13; community vs non-community: 0·86, 0·65-1·13). INTERPRETATION: Maternal health report cards containing information on village performance, targeted at either the community or health providers, had no detectable effect on the coverage of maternal and neonatal health care. Future research should seek to understand how the content of information and the delivery of report cards affect the success of this type of social accountability intervention. FUNDING: Merck Sharp and Dohme.

Understanding intersections of social determinants of maternal healthcare utilization in Uttar Pradesh, India.

OBJECTIVE: To explore intersections of social determinants of maternal healthcare utilization using the Classification and Regression Trees (CART) algorithm which is a machine-learning method used to construct prediction models. METHODS: Institutional review board approval for this study was granted from Public Health Service-Ethical Review Board (PHS-ERB) and from the Health Ministry Screening Committee (HMSC) facilitated by Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). IRB review and approval for the current analyses was obtained from University of California, San Diego. Cross-sectional data were collected from women with children aged 0-11 months (n = 5,565) from rural households in 25 districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Participants were surveyed on maternal healthcare utilization including registration of pregnancy (model-1), receipt of antenatal care (ANC) during pregnancy (model-2), and delivery at health facilities (model -3). Social determinants of health including wealth, social group, literacy, religion, and early age at marriage were captured during the survey. The Classification and Regression Tree (CART) algorithm was used to explore intersections of social determinants of healthcare utilization. RESULTS: CART analyses highlight the intersections, particularly of wealth and literacy, in maternal healthcare utilization in Uttar Pradesh. Model-1 documents that women who are poorer, illiterate and Muslim are less likely to have their pregnancies registered (71.4% vs. 86.0% in the overall sample). Model-2 documents that poorer, illiterate women had the lowest ANC coverage (37.7% vs 45% in the overall sample). Model-3, developed for deliveries at health facilities, highlighted that illiterate and poor women have the lowest representation among facility deliveries (59.6% vs. 69% in the overall sample). CONCLUSION: This paper explores the interactions between determinants of maternal healthcare utilization indicators. The findings in this paper highlights that the interaction of wealth and literacy can play a very strong role in accentuating or diminishing healthcare utilization among women. The study also reveals that religion and women's age at marriage also interact with wealth and literacy to create substantial disparities in utilization. The study provides insights into the effect of intersections of determinants, and highlights the importance of using a more nuanced understanding of the impact of co-occurring forms of marginalization to effectively tackle inequities in healthcare utilization.

Process evaluation of a social franchising model to improve maternal health: evidence from a multi-methods study in Uttar Pradesh, India.

BACKGROUND: A prominent strategy to engage private sector health providers in low- and middle-income countries is clinical social franchising, an organisational model that applies the principles of commercial franchising for socially beneficial goals. The Matrika programme, a multi-faceted social franchise model to improve maternal health, was implemented in three districts of Uttar Pradesh, India, between 2013 and 2016. Previous research indicates that the intervention was not effective in improving the quality and coverage of maternal health services at the population level. This paper reports findings from an independent external process evaluation, conducted alongside the impact evaluation, with the aim of explaining the impact findings. It focuses on the main component of the programme, the "Sky" social franchise. METHODS: We first developed a theory of change, mapping the key mechanisms through which the programme was hypothesised to have impact. We then undertook a multi-methods study, drawing on both quantitative and qualitative primary data from a wide range of sources to assess the extent of implementation and to understand mechanisms of impact and the role of contextual factors. We analysed the quantitative data descriptively to generate indicators of implementation. We undertook a thematic analysis of the qualitative data before holding reflective meetings to triangulate across data sources, synthesise evidence, and identify the main findings. Finally, we used the framework provided by the theory of change to organise and interpret our findings. RESULTS: We report six key findings. First, despite the franchisor achieving its recruitment targets, the competitive nature of the market for antenatal care meant social franchise providers achieved very low market share. Second, all Sky health providers were branded but community awareness of the franchise remained low. Third, using lower-level providers and community health volunteers to encourage women to attend franchised antenatal care services was ineffective. Fourth, referral linkages were not sufficiently strong between antenatal care providers in the franchise network and delivery care providers. Fifth, Sky health providers had better knowledge and self-reported practice than comparable health providers, but overall, the evidence pointed to poor quality of care across the board. Finally, telemedicine was perceived by clients as an attractive feature, but problems in the implementation of the technology meant its effect on quality of antenatal care was likely limited. CONCLUSIONS: These findings point towards the importance of designing programmes based on a strong theory of change, understanding market conditions and what patients value, and rigorously testing new technologies. The design of future social franchising programmes should take account of the challenges documented in this and other evaluations.

Effect and cost-effectiveness of educating mothers about childhood DPT vaccination on immunisation uptake, knowledge, and perceptions in Uttar Pradesh, India: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effect of health information on immunisation uptake in rural India, we conducted an individually randomised controlled trial of health information messages targeting the mothers of unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children through home visits in rural Uttar Pradesh, India. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The study tested a brief intervention that provided mothers face-to-face with information on the benefits of the tetanus vaccine. Participants were 722 mothers of children aged 0-36 months who had not received 3 doses of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) vaccine (DPT3). Mothers were randomly assigned in a ratio of 1:1:1 to 1 of 3 study arms: mothers in the first treatment group received information framed as a gain (e.g., the child is less likely to get tetanus and more likely to be healthy if vaccinated), mothers in the second treatment group received information framed in terms of a loss (e.g., the child is more likely to get tetanus and suffer ill health if not vaccinated), and the third arm acted as a control group, with no information given to the mother. Surveys were conducted at baseline (September 2015) and after the intervention (April 2016). The primary outcome was the proportion of children who had received DPT3 measured after 7 months of follow-up. The analysis was by intention to treat. A total of 16 (2.2%) participants were lost to follow-up. The coverage of DPT3 was 28% in the control group and 43% in the pooled information groups, giving a risk difference of 15 percentage points (95% CI: 7% to 22%, p < 0.001) and a relative risk of 1.52 (95% CI: 1.2 to 1.9, p < 0.001). The information intervention increased the rate of measles vaccination by 22 percentage points (risk difference: 22%, 95% CI: 14% to 30%, p < 0.001; relative risk: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.29 to 1.80) and the rate of full immunisation by 14 percentage points (risk difference: 14%, 95% CI: 8% to 21%, p < 0.001; relative risk: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.29 to 2.29). It had a large positive effect on knowledge of the causes, symptoms, and prevention of tetanus but no effect on perceptions of vaccine efficacy. There was no difference in the proportion of children with DPT3 between the group that received information framed as a loss and the group that received information framed as a gain (risk difference: 4%, 95% CI: -5% to 13%; p = 0.352; relative risk: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.90 to 1.36). The cost per disability-adjusted life year averted of providing information was US$186, making the intervention highly cost-effective with respect to the WHO-recommended threshold of once the gross domestic product per capita (US$793 in the case of Uttar Pradesh). Key study limitations include the modest sample size for this trial, limiting power to detect small differences in the framing of information, and the potential for contamination among households. CONCLUSIONS: Providing mothers of unvaccinated/incompletely vaccinated children with information on tetanus and the benefits of DPT vaccination substantially increased immunisation coverage and was highly cost-effective. The framing of the health information message did not appear to matter. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered with ISRCTN, number ISRCTN84560580.

Effect of a multifaceted social franchising model on quality and coverage of maternal, newborn, and reproductive health-care services in Uttar Pradesh, India: a quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: How to harness the private sector to improve population health in low-income and middle-income countries is heavily debated and one prominent strategy is social franchising. We aimed to evaluate whether the Matrika social franchising model-a multifaceted intervention that established a network of private providers and strengthened the skills of both public and private sector clinicians-could improve the quality and coverage of health services along the continuum of care for maternal, newborn, and reproductive health. METHODS: We did a quasi-experimental study, which combined matching with difference-in-differences methods. We matched 60 intervention clusters (wards or villages) with a social franchisee to 120 comparison clusters in six districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. The intervention was implemented by two not-for-profit organisations from September, 2013, to May, 2016. We did two rounds (January, 2015, and May, 2016) of a household survey for women who had given birth up to 2 years previously. The primary outcome was the proportion of women who gave birth in a health-care facility. An additional 56 prespecified outcomes measured maternal health-care use, content of care, patient experience, and other dimensions of care. We organised conceptually similar outcomes into 14 families to create summary indices. We used multivariate difference-in-differences methods for the analyses and accounted for multiple inference. FINDINGS: The introduction of Matrika was not significantly associated with the change in facility births (4 percentage points, 95% CI -1 to 9; p=0·100). Effects for any of the other individual outcomes or for any of the 14 summary indices were not significant. Evidence was weak for an increase of 0·13 SD (95% CI 0·00 to 0·27; p=0·053) in recommended delivery care practices. INTERPRETATION: The Matrika social franchise model was not effective in improving the quality and coverage of maternal health services at the population level. Several key reasons identified for the absence of an effect potentially provide generalisable lessons for social franchising programmes elsewhere. FUNDING: Merck Sharp and Dohme Limited.

Towards an understanding of the multilevel factors associated with maternal health care utilization in Uttar Pradesh, India.

BACKGROUND: This paper explores the multilevel factors associated with maternal health utilization in India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. 3 key utilization practices: registration of pregnancy, receipt of antenatal care, and delivery at home are examined for district and individual level predictors. The data is based on 5666 household surveys conducted as part of a baseline evaluation of the Uttar Pradesh Technical Support Unit (UPTSU.) program. OBJECTIVES: This intervention aims to assist the Government of Uttar Pradesh in increasing the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of service delivery across a continuum of reproductive, maternal, new-born, child, and adolescent health (RMNCH+A) outcomes. METHODS: The paper employs multilevel models that control for individuals being nested within districts in order to understand the predictors of maternal health care utilization. RESULTS: The study identifies several individual-level predictors of health care utilization, including: literacy of the woman, the husband's schooling, age at marriage, and socio-economic factors. Key predictors of pregnancy registration include husband's schooling (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.26-1.76), having a bank account (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.11-1.68), and owning a house (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.85-2.80). Factors affecting antenatal care include the woman's literacy (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.28-1.73), the respondent having had a job in the last year (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.10-1.77), and owning a house (OR 2.83, 95% CI 2.27-3.53). Home delivery tends to be associated with woman's literacy (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.54-0.72) and marriage age of 15 and younger (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.26-1.73). CONCLUSIONS: Interventions having equity considerations need to disrupt existing patterns of the health gradient. Successful implementation of such interventions, necessitate understanding the mechanisms that can disrupt the unequal utilization patterns and target domains of disadvantage. Knowledge of key predictors of utilization can aid in the implementation of such complex interventions.

Associations Between Mistreatment by a Provider during Childbirth and Maternal Health Complications in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Objectives This study assesses associations between mistreatment by a provider during childbirth and maternal complications in Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods Cross-sectional survey data were collected from women (N = 2639) who had delivered at 68 public health facilities in Uttar Pradesh, participating in a quality of care study. Participants were recruited from April to July 2015 and surveyed on demographics, mistreatment during childbirth (measure developed for this study, Cronbach's alpha = 0.70), and maternal health complications. Regression models assessed associations between mistreatment during childbirth and maternal complications, at delivery and postpartum, adjusting for demographics and pregnancy complications. Results Participants were aged 17-48 years, and 30.3% were scheduled caste/scheduled tribe. One in five (20.9%) reported mistreatment by their provider during childbirth, including discrimination and abuse; complications during delivery (e.g., obstructed labor) and postpartum (e.g., excessive bleeding) were reported by 45.8 and 41.5% of women, respectively. Health providers at delivery included staff nurses (81.8%), midwives (14.0%), and physicians (2.2%); Chi square analyses indicate that women were significantly more likely to report mistreatment when their provider was a nurse rather than a physician or midwife. Women reporting mistreatment by a provider during childbirth had higher odds of complications at delivery (AOR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.05-1.67) and postpartum (AOR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.67-2.68). Conclusions for Practice Mistreatment of women by their provider during childbirth is a pervasive health and human rights violation, and is associated with increased risk for maternal health complications in Uttar Pradesh. Efforts to improve quality of maternal care should include greater training and monitoring of providers to ensure respectful treatment of patients.