Behavior change communication activities improve infant and young child nutrition knowledge and practice of neighboring non-participants in a cluster-randomized trial in rural Bangladesh

The objective of this study was to examine the impact on infant and young child nutrition knowledge and practice of mothers who were neighbours of mothers participating in a nutrition Behavior Change Communication (BCC) intervention in rural Bangladesh.

It found that having a neighbouring mother participate in a nutrition BCC intervention increased non-participant mothers IYCN knowledge and that they were more likely to feed their children legumes and nuts, vitamin A rich fruits and vegetables and eggs. Children of non-participant mothers who had a neighbouring mother participate in a nutrition BCC intervention were more likely to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for minimum diet diversity, minimum acceptable diet and minimum meal frequency for children who continue to be breastfed after age 6 months. Children aged 0-6 months of non-participant mothers who are neighbors of mothers receiving BCC were less likely to have ever consumed water-based liquids.