Table 4 Data collection outline

 1. To establish local contexts and norms, which influence Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) practices in order to tailor the intervention package to the local communities

Attitudes and practices regarding breastfeeding and other MIYCN practices; cultural and social factors and norms that influence MIYCN

Focus group discussions (FGDs) with community members (women and men and community health workers); key informant interviews (KIIs) with key informants including community administrators and other leaders (e.g. religious group leaders), traditional birth attendants (TBAs); KIIs with facility health workers, CHWs and Sub-County Health Management (ScHMT) team

 2. To identify enabling factors and barriers that may influence the implementation of BFCI and potential ways of addressing them

Key players and structures in the community that would facilitate implementation of BFCI (key influential people in the community, community resource persons that would be involved in the implementation of the project, other useful community resources); factors (e.g. socioeconomic, maternal age, social/family support) that influence uptake of interventions in the community; any potential hindrances to the success of the intervention (e.g. myths, beliefs)

Key informant interviews (KIIs) with key informants including community administrators and other leaders (e.g. religious group leaders), traditional birth attendants (TBAs); KIIs with facility health workers, CHWs and (ScHMT) team, FGDs with mothers and fathers

Study objective

Variable/Data

Methods

 1. To determine the effectiveness of the BFCI on the rates of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months

Duration of exclusive breastfeeding as a derived variable: age of child, current status of breastfeeding (exclusive, mixed feeding, not breastfeeding) with probes on the age at introduction of other foods or liquids (if appropriate), and a 24-hour recall feeding question

Quantitative: questionnaires to mothers and 24-hour recall at 2, 4 and 6 months;

 2. To determine the effectiveness of the BFCI on breastfeeding and other MIYCN knowledge, attitudes and practices

Breastfeeding and other MIYCN knowledge, attitudes and practices including breast positioning attachment, and frequency of feeding

Quantitative: questionnaires to mothers (at baseline and end-line)

 3. To determine the effectiveness of the BFCI on rate of initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth

Timing of initiation of breastfeeding with specific prompts on whether infant was put to breast immediately, within 1 hour or later, reasons for the delay in initiation of breastfeeding

Quantitative data gathered from interviews with mothers within 2 months of the birth of the child

 4. To determine the effectiveness of the BFCI on nutritional and health status of children aged 6 months and below.

Anthropometric measurements including MUAC, weight and length morbidity from diarrhea using 14- day recall

Quantitative: using questionnaires, MUAC tapes, electronic weighing scale and measuring board at 2, 4 and 6 months

 5. To determine satisfaction with the intervention, and the enabling factors/barriers associated with the implementation of the BCFI

Facilitating factors and barriers associated with intervention; Client satisfaction, experiences with intervention and with the processes of delivering it

Quantitative data: Likert scale (satisfaction) at end-line Qualitative: interviews with mothers, community opinion leaders, HWs and CHWs (experiences, facilitating factors and barriers) at midline and end-line