Social Assistance Programs and Birth Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Assessment of Nutrition and Health Pathways.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Poor birth outcomes are an important global public health problem. Social assistance programs that provide cash or in-kind transfers, such as food or vouchers, hold potential to improve birth outcomes but the evidence on their effectiveness has not been reviewed.

Objectives

We systematically reviewed studies that used experimental or quasi-experimental methods to evaluate the impacts of social assistance programs on outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods

The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system was used to assess the certainty of the evidence for birth weight and neonatal mortality (most common outcomes reported). We summarized the evidence on hypothesized nutrition and health pathways of impact.<

SUBMITTER: Leroy JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8643580 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature