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Perceived Social Networks and Newborn Health: Evidence from Self-Help Group Communities in Northern India
Jenny Ruducha1, Xinran Huang2, James Potter3
1Braintree Global Health, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
Societies (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 1, 2021
Summary
Women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in India strengthen social networks and community capital, leading to improved immediate breastfeeding practices among recently delivered women (RDW). These groups enhance health advice accessibility and accountability.
Area of Science:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Individual interventions have limitations in improving maternal, newborn, and child health.
- Community and social influence patterns are increasingly recognized as crucial for behavior change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand village dynamics in India and the impact of social networks on immediate breastfeeding.
- To examine how Self-Help Groups (SHGs) influence social ties and health advice among recently delivered women (RDW).
Main Methods:
- Data collected from 185 RDW in Uttar Pradesh, India, across areas with and without women's SHGs.
- Analysis of social and advice networks, including relationship ties, health advice ties, and network density.
- Assessment of cognitive perceptions regarding interconnectedness and ties with family and health workers.
Main Results:
- RDW in SHG areas exhibited higher numbers of relationship and health advice ties.
- Health advice networks were denser in villages with SHGs.
- RDW in SHG areas reported significantly higher perceived knowing ties with family and health workers, correlating with higher immediate breastfeeding rates.
Conclusions:
- Women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) enhance community social capital and social networks.
- SHGs promote accountability within the health system for engaging families.
- SHGs support the adoption of evidence-based health practices over traditional ones.
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