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Identifying acceptability and price points for purchasing micronutrient powders for children 2 to 5 years old in
Rajni Gunnala1, Cria G Perrine2, Giriraj Subedi3
1Epidemic Intelligence Service Program, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA USA.
Insights
Mothers in Nepal show high acceptability for purchasing micronutrient powders (MNP) for children aged 2-5 years. Factors like education and health worker advice influence purchasing decisions, informing future distribution strategies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Nutrition
- Maternal and Child Health
- Micronutrient Interventions
Background:
- Micronutrient powders (MNP) are crucial for child nutrition, but purchasing behavior for older children (2-5 years) is understudied.
- Current MNP distribution primarily targets younger children (6-23 months) with free programs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess caregiver acceptability and price points for purchasing MNP for children aged 2-5 years in Nepal.
- To identify socio-demographic and program-related factors influencing MNP purchasing decisions.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional surveys conducted at 3 and 15 months post-MNP program implementation.
- 1,261 mothers of children aged 6-23 months who had heard of MNP participated.
- Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyzed associations with purchasing acceptability.
Main Results:
- High acceptability for purchasing MNP was reported (77.5% at 3 months, 86.1% at 15 months).
- A positive pricing attitude for 60 sachets at 150 Nepali rupees was observed (66.3% - 73.4%).
- Acceptability increased with higher wealth quintiles and maternal education; program exposure (counseling, knowledge of benefits, lack of barriers) also correlated with acceptability.
Conclusions:
- Caregivers in Nepal demonstrate willingness to purchase MNP for older children.
- Socio-demographic factors and program exposure significantly influence purchasing acceptability.
- Findings can guide future MNP distribution strategies and market-based approaches in Nepal.
Background And Objective:
Little is known about purchasing micronutrient powders (MNP) for children 2-5 years. We describe acceptability for purchasing and price points for MNP for children 2-5 years among caregivers living in districts where free MNP are distributed for children 6-23 months.
Methods And Study Design:
Crosssectional surveys conducted 3 months after MNP program implementation in 2 districts; 15 months after implementation in 2 different districts. Chi square tests and logistic regression describe associations among sociodemographics and program exposure factors and acceptability of purchasing MNP among 1,261 mothers of children 6-23 months who had heard of MNP.
Results:
Overall, 77.5% and 86.1% of mothers reported acceptability for purchasing MNP in the 3 and 15 month surveys, respectively. Positive pricing attitude (PPA) about paying 150 Nepali rupees for 60 sachets of MNP was reported by 66.3% and 73.4% of mothers. Acceptability for purchasing MNP in both time periods increased with higher wealth quintile and higher maternal education; PPA increased with higher maternal education. Controlling for socio-demographics, program exposure factors associated with acceptability for purchasing MNP included: lack of perceived barriers to MNP intake and health worker counselling (3 month surveys); knowledge of benefits of MNP intake and lack of perceived barriers to MNP intake (15 month surveys).
Conclusions:
Mothers reported acceptability for purchasing MNP and PPA for older children in Nepal. Differences in acceptability were found across socio-demographics and program exposures. Use of these results and further exploration into actual purchasing behaviour can inform future MNP distribution methods in Nepal.
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