{"title":"Perspectives on integrating family planning and nutrition: a qualitative study of stakeholders.","authors":"Sachin Shinde, Uttara Partap, Nazia Binte Ali, Moussa Ouédraogo, Yohana Laiser, Iqbal Shah, Wafaie Fawzi","doi":"10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015932","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Limited information is available on the value of integrating family planning and nutrition services to improve related outcomes among women of reproductive age and effective approaches to achieve this. This study aimed to ascertain the perspectives and experiences of global and regional stakeholders about integrating family planning and nutrition services, examine facilitators and barriers and identify opportunities and considerations for integration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted semistructured interviews with 34 global and regional stakeholders in family planning, nutrition and related domains. Participants were identified through purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted virtually, recorded and transcribed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Stakeholders considered the integration of family planning and nutrition services potentially valuable given the biological links between family planning and nutritional status, and potential practical benefits including increased service coverage, reduced burden on beneficiaries to access services and increased cost-effectiveness of service delivery. Integration was commonly described within the context of comprehensive health service packages, with integration models encompassing health systems strengthening, life course and multisectoral approaches. Facilitators and barriers included systemic and structural, resource-related and contextual factors. The need for more robust evidence to support integration and identify effective and cost-effective integration models was emphasised.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Integrating family planning with nutrition services and both with other health services directed towards women of reproductive age and their children may offer greater value in improving health and related outcomes, as opposed to siloed approaches. Further evidence quantifying benefits and highlighting the effectiveness of such integration strategies is key to informing future programmatic efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":9137,"journal":{"name":"BMJ Global Health","volume":"10 Suppl 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11749386/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"BMJ Global Health","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015932","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract
Background: Limited information is available on the value of integrating family planning and nutrition services to improve related outcomes among women of reproductive age and effective approaches to achieve this. This study aimed to ascertain the perspectives and experiences of global and regional stakeholders about integrating family planning and nutrition services, examine facilitators and barriers and identify opportunities and considerations for integration.
Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 34 global and regional stakeholders in family planning, nutrition and related domains. Participants were identified through purposive sampling. Interviews were conducted virtually, recorded and transcribed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Stakeholders considered the integration of family planning and nutrition services potentially valuable given the biological links between family planning and nutritional status, and potential practical benefits including increased service coverage, reduced burden on beneficiaries to access services and increased cost-effectiveness of service delivery. Integration was commonly described within the context of comprehensive health service packages, with integration models encompassing health systems strengthening, life course and multisectoral approaches. Facilitators and barriers included systemic and structural, resource-related and contextual factors. The need for more robust evidence to support integration and identify effective and cost-effective integration models was emphasised.
Conclusions: Integrating family planning with nutrition services and both with other health services directed towards women of reproductive age and their children may offer greater value in improving health and related outcomes, as opposed to siloed approaches. Further evidence quantifying benefits and highlighting the effectiveness of such integration strategies is key to informing future programmatic efforts.
期刊介绍：
BMJ Global Health is an online Open Access journal from BMJ that focuses on publishing high-quality peer-reviewed content pertinent to individuals engaged in global health, including policy makers, funders, researchers, clinicians, and frontline healthcare workers. The journal encompasses all facets of global health, with a special emphasis on submissions addressing underfunded areas such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It welcomes research across all study phases and designs, from study protocols to phase I trials to meta-analyses, including small or specialized studies. The journal also encourages opinionated discussions on controversial topics.
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