DAMAX Solutions was commissioned by Nutrition International to assess barriers affecting the delivery and utilization of nutrition services for pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers attending antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) clinics.
The study examined the challenges influencing access to quality, adolescent-responsive maternal nutrition services, including service delivery practices, provider capacity and health system factors.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the assessment combined document reviews, facility-based interviews and consultations with healthcare providers and government stakeholders. Data collection included 434 exit interviews with pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers, six focus group discussions, 12 in-depth interviews with ANC and PNC service providers and 13 key informant interviews with regional, district and national health authorities.
The findings informed the development of a targeted training module for healthcare providers, designed to strengthen their capacity to deliver appropriate, responsive and quality nutrition services to pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers.