The Effect of Combining a Health Program with Self Help Groups on Health Behaviors and Outcomes
In a matched comparison study in Gujarat and Karnataka, Saha, Kermode and Annear (2015) looked at the effect on maternal and child health of combining a health program with an SHG program. They looked at five health indicators to determine outcomes: diarrhea among children, institutional delivery of babies, colostrum feeding to newborns, having a toilet at home and money spent on treatment. The mixed-methods study found that women in SHGs were significantly more likely to deliver their babies in an institution and to feed colostrum to their newborns. They were more likely to have a toilet at home. There was however no statistically significant reduction in diarrhea among children in the intervention community nor was there a reduction in spending on treatments.