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Monitoring and evaluating the adherence to a complementary food supplement (Ying Yang Bao) among young children in rural Qinghai, China: a mixed methods evaluation study

Background Large investments are currently made in community–based complementary food supplement (Ying Yang Bao, YYB) programs to improve nutrition of young children in rural areas in China. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the experience and challenges of implementing YYB programs in China. We aimed to: 1) monitor distribution of YYB; 2) assess children’s adherence to and acceptability of YYB; and 3) evaluate community–based strategies to improve the program. Methods This mixed methods evaluation study combined data from surveys and focus groups that took place during a controlled interventional evaluation trial. The trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of community–based YYB distribution on improving children's health status in rural areas in China. We conducted five cross–sectional surveys with caregivers of children aged 6–23 months (baseline survey (N = 1804) in August 2012 and four follow–up cross–sectional surveys: 1) N = 494 in January 2013; 2) N = 2187 in August 2013; 3) N = 504 in January 2014; and 4) N = 2186 in August 2014) in one rural county in Qinghai Province. We used a two–stage cluster sampling technique to select mothers with eligible children for each survey. Information was collected from caregivers on household characteristics, YYB consumption and acceptability in the surveys. High adherence in each survey was defined as children who consumed at least four YYB sachets during the previous week. A logistic regression model was developed to obtain odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals of factors associated with high adherence. Also, we conducted 10 focus groups with73 caregivers and health workers involved in the YYB distribution. Content analysis was used to explore qualitative findings, which were used to gain deeper insight into the quantitative results. Results Around 90% of caregivers had ever received YYB and more than 80% of children ever took YYB. Caregivers mainly knew about YYB through their village doctors. High adherence to YYB increased from 49.4% in the first follow–up survey (January 2013) to 81.4% in the last follow–up survey (August 2014; P < 0.0001). Repeated training sessions with village doctors could increase adherence. However, due to unplanned YYB stock–out, caregivers did not receive YYB for six months, which may have led to a decrease of high adherence from 64.1% in the second follow–up survey (August 2013) to 53.6% in the third follow–up survey (January 2014; P < 0.0001). Self–reported acceptability increased from 43.2% to 71.8%, partly due to improving the taste of YYB, which was the main reason that children disliked taking YYB. Unfortunately, more than 60% of caregivers did not perceive positive health improvement in their children after taking YYB. Multivariate analysis showed that children with diarrhea (OR = 1.216, 95% CI 1.025–1.442), cough or fever (OR = 1.222, 95% CI 1.072–1.393) during the past two weeks had significantly lower adherence. Conclusions This evaluation study showed that program monitoring in rural West China was critically important for understanding program implementation and adherence trends. This led to strategic changes to the intervention over time: improving the taste of YYB; strengthening health education of village doctors and caregivers; and ensuring continuity of YYB supply. Future programs need to monitor program implementation in other settings in China and elsewhere.