Understanding Challenges and Facilitating Factors in an Integrated Early Childhood Intervention in Madagascar
Lia Fernald, Professor
Public Health
Applications for Spring 2025 are closed for this project.
Numerous studies have shown that early childhood development (ECD) interventions, including psychosocial stimulation, are effective in promoting disadvantaged children’s short-term cognitive and socioemotional outcomes, as well as their long-term educational attainment, earnings, and health. One proposed strategy for “scaling up” these interventions to achieve greater coverage in LMICs is delivery through an existing workforce and infrastructure. We investigate the supply-side and demand-side impacts of integrating an ECD intervention with status-quo health and nutrition activities delivered by CHWs in Madagascar. Phone interviews were administered to 150 CHWs at 9 survey waves assessing (i) challenges in carrying out health and nutrition activities (N&H), (ii) challenges in carrying out ECD activities, (iii) perceived caregiver challenges, and (iv) facilitating factors.
Role: (1) Apply subcodes of the above topics ((i)-(iv)) to CHW interview transcripts. Subcodes will be provided by mentors, and the student will apply subcodes and check for consistency of application.
(3) Describe longitudinal changes in work attachment and motivation for individual CHWs, and apply work attachment subcodes provided by mentors. The student will read all 9 interviews sequentially for each CHW, document any evolution in sentiments or subcodes applied over time, and compare sentiments and subcodes applied across treatment arms.
(3) Tabulate the frequency of subcodes and examine how the frequency of subcodes varies by socioeconomic characteristics of CHWs or by treatment arms.
Qualifications: (1) Prior experience with qualitative analysis is not necessary but preferred.
(2) Strong qualitative analysis software skills in Dedoose are not necessary but preferred (nVivo and other programs will also be considered). If the student is not already proficient in using Dedoose, they will be expected to learn and familiarize themselves within the first seven days of recruitment into the project.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Eleanor Tsai, Ph.D. candidate
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: The student will collaborate with mentors at UC Berkeley and off-campus faculty collaborators at Florida State University. Zoom meetings will be held weekly or bi-weekly to provide guidance on coding and analysis.
Social Sciences Biological & Health Sciences