PROTOCOL: The effect of interventions for women's empowerment on children's health and education: A systematic review of evidence from low‐ and middle‐income countries

Vollmer, Sebastian J.; Khan, Sarah; Tú, Lê Thị Ngọc; Pasha, Atika; Sahoo, Soham

doi:10.1002/cl2.172

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…not all mediators form parts of complex mechanisms), they are of interest as they can change the interpretation of causal chains. For example, in a systematic review underway on the effectiveness of interventions to raise children's educational and health outcomes through increasing women's empowerment, women's intra-household bargaining power and time use were identified as mediating factors (Vollmer et al, 2017). In other words, for the intervention to effect change in children's outcomes, it must also change women's intra-household bargaining power and time use.…”

Section: Virtuous Circles/cycles (And Vicious Circles/cycles)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Causal chain analysis in systematic reviews of international development interventions

Kneale¹,

Thomas²,

Bangpan³

et al. 2018

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Understanding the extent to which an intervention ‘works’ can provide compelling evidence to decision-makers, although without an accompanying explanation of how an intervention works, this evidence can be difficult to apply in other settings, ultimately impeding its usefulness in making judicious and evidence-informed decisions. In this paper, we describe causal chain analysis as involving the development of a logic model, which outlines graphically a hypothesis of how an intervention leads to a change in an outcome. This logic model is then used to anchor subsequent decisions in the systematic review process, including decisions on synthesis. In this paper, we outline the steps taken in building a logic model, which usually consists of a series of boxes depicting intervention components and processes, outputs, and outcomes with arrows depicting connecting relationships. The nature of these connecting relationships and their basis in causality are considered, through a focus on complex causal relationships and the way in which contextual factors about the intervention setting or population may moderate these. We also explore the way in which specific combinations of intervention components may lead to successful interventions. Evidence synthesis techniques are discussed in the context of causal chain analysis, and their usefulness in exploring different parts of the causal chain or different types of relationship. The approaches outlined in this paper aim to assist systematic reviewers in producing findings that are useful to decision-makers and practitioners, and in turn, help to confirm existing theories or develop entirely new ways of understanding how interventions to effect change.

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Section: Virtuous Circles/cycles (And Vicious Circles/cycles)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Causal chain analysis in systematic reviews of international development interventions

Kneale¹,

Thomas²,

Bangpan³

et al. 2018

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“…Second, studies that broadly examine all levels of WEE interventions do not do so in relation to maternal health outcomes. Vollmer et al 28 proposed a systematic review of any women’s empowerment intervention on child health outcomes, rather than maternal health outcomes such as ANC. Similarly, Buvinić and Furst-Nichols29 reviewed the efficacy of all levels of WEE interventions, but not in relation to maternal health outcomes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of women’s economic empowerment interventions on antenatal care outcomes: a systematic review

et al. 2023

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ObjectivesEarly and adequate antenatal care (ANC) has been shown to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality globally. Increasing evidence suggests that women’s economic empowerment (WEE) is a critical factor that may influence uptake of ANC during pregnancy. However, existing literature lacks a comprehensive synthesis of studies on WEE interventions and their effects on ANC outcomes. This systematic review analyses WEE interventions at the household, community and national levels and their effects on ANC outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries, where the majority of maternal deaths occur.MethodsSix electronic databases were systematically searched as well as 19 websites of relevant organisations. Studies published in English and after 2010 were included.ResultsFollowing abstract and full-text review, 37 studies were included in this review. Seven studies used an experimental study design, 26 studies used a quasi-experimental study design, 1 study used an observational design and 1 study was a systematic review with meta-analysis. Thirty-one included studies evaluated a household-level intervention, and six studies evaluated a community-level intervention. No included studies examined a national-level intervention.ConclusionMost included studies on household-level and community-level interventions found a positive association between the intervention and the number of ANC visits women received. This review emphasises the need for more WEE interventions that empower women at the national level, for the expansion of the definition of WEE to be more inclusive of the multidimensionality of WEE interventions and the social determinants of health, and the standardisation of ANC outcome measurement globally.

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“…The operationalization of women's empowerment in health and development programmes in recent years has largely focused on improving access to resources, assets, and services. Interventions that have been assessed include women's self‐help groups (often with an economic focus; Atteraya, Gnawali, & Palley, 2016 ; Brody et al, 2015 ; Kabeer, 2018 ; Kumar et al, 2018 ; Lahiri‐Dutt & Samanta, 2006 ; Vollmer, Khan, Ngoc Tu, Pasha, & Sahoo, 2017 ), cash transfer programmes (Adato, de la Briere, Mindek, & Quisumbing, 2000 ; Bonilla et al, 2017 ; Molyneux, 2008 ; Tiwari et al, 2016 ; van den Bold, Quisumbing, & Gillespie, 2013 ), microcredit programmes (Lahiri‐Dutt & Samanta, 2006 ; Mahmud, 2003 ; Naser & Crowther, 2016 ; Swain & Wallentin, 2009 ; Vaessen et al, 2014 ; van Rooyen, Stewart, & de Wet, 2012 ), agriculture programmes (Olney et al, 2016 ; van den Bold et al, 2015 ), and programmes to strengthen inheritance and property rights (Allendorf, 2007 ; Mishra & Sam, 2016 ; Peterman, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vollmer et al ( 2017 ) have published a protocol for a systematic review of the effect of women's economic empowerment on children's health and education.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

PROTOCOL: The effects of empowerment‐based nutrition interventions on the nutritional status of adolescent girls in low‐ and middle‐income countries

Riddle

Kroeger

Ramage

et al. 2019

Campbell Systematic Reviews

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BACKGROUND 1.1 | The problem, condition or issue Adolescents (10 to 19 years) currently represent the largest global generation of young people in our collective history (United Nations, 2015). The regions of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean are the home of 1.1 billion young persons (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, 2017). In sub-Saharan Africa, people below the age of 25 make up 62% of the population, with only marginal declines predicted through 2050 (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, 2019). The working age population (25 to 64 years) in sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and parts of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean is growing faster than all other age groups (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, 2019). Ensuring the health and well-being of adolescents who will fill the ranks of the world's working age population will help to propel global economic growth and development (Patton et al., 2016). Adolescence is a period of significant physiological change that includes marked skeletal growth, increased bone mass, and fundamental neurological development (Das et al., 2017; Patton et al., 2016). Proper nutrition during adolescence is crucial for optimal growth and development and helps to prepare adolescents for adulthood. However, many adolescents face challenges in achieving optimal dietary intake, especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the majority of adolescents reside (WHO, 2014). Iron-deficiency anemia affects 430.7 million (24%) adolescents, with 77% of adolescents living with anaemia in multiburden countries where communicable, maternal, and nutritional conditions contribute to 2,500 disability adjusted lifeyears (DALYs) or more per 100,000 adolescents (Azzopardi et al., 2019). The prevalence of anaemia is consistently higher for females than males, and is more than 50% for females in Bhutan, Yemen, India, and Burkina Faso in 2016 (Azzopardi et al., 2019). Mean BMI (body mass index) and the prevalence of obesity are also rising among children and adolescents

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PROTOCOL: The effect of interventions for women's empowerment on children's health and education: A systematic review of evidence from low‐ and middle‐income countries

Cited by 3 publications

References 99 publications

Causal chain analysis in systematic reviews of international development interventions

Causal chain analysis in systematic reviews of international development interventions

Effects of women’s economic empowerment interventions on antenatal care outcomes: a systematic review

PROTOCOL: The effects of empowerment‐based nutrition interventions on the nutritional status of adolescent girls in low‐ and middle‐income countries

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