Caregiver Behavior Change for Child Survival and Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: An Examination of the Evidence

Authors

John P. Elder, San Diego State University
Willo Pequegnat, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MarylandFollow
Saifuddin Ahmed, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Gretchen Bachman, United States Agency for International Development
Merry Bullock, American Psychological Association
Waldemar A. Carlo, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Venkatrama Chandra- Mouli, World Health Organization
Nathan A. Fox, University of Maryland at College Park
Sara Harkness, University of Connecticut
Gillian Huebner, United States Agency for International Development
Joan Lombardi, Bernard van Leer Foundation
Velma Mcbride Murry, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
Allisyn Moran, Office of Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition, United States Agency for International Development, Washington
Maureen Norton, Office of Population and Reproductive Health, United States Agency for International Development, Washington
Jennifer Mulik, PACT, Washington, District of Columbia
Will Parks, United Nations Children’s Fund
Helen Raikes, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Joseph Smyser, San Diego State University
Caroline Sugg, British Broadcasting Company
Michael Sweat, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston

Date of this Version

2014

Citation

Journal of Health Communication, 19:25–66, 2014

Comments

US government work

Abstract

In June of 2012, representatives from more than 80 countries promulgated a Child Survival Call to Action, which called for reducing child mortality to 20 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births in every country by 2035. To address the problem of ending preventable child deaths, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the United Nations Children’s Fund convened, on June 3–4, 2013, an Evidence Summit on Enhancing Child Survival and Development in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries by Achieving Population-Level Behavior Change. Six evidence review teams were established on different topics related to child survival and healthy development to identify the relevant evidence-based interventions and to prepare reports. This article was developed by the evidence review team responsible for identifying the research literature on caregiver change for child survival and development. This article is organized into childhood developmental periods and cross-cutting issues that affect child survival and healthy early development across all these periods. On the basis of this review, the authors present evidence-based recommendations for programs focused on caregivers to increase child survival and promote healthy development. Last, promising directions for future research to change caregivers’ behaviors are given.