Using consultative research to adapt the IMCI [integrated management of childhood illnesses] feeding recommendations to a local context : training guide

The modules, based on the results of a regional seminar held in Dakar, Senegal in July 1997, utilize adult training methods and an active, participatory approach to instruction; an introductory chapter discusses this pedagogical approach in some detail. The modules are as follows: (1) overview of the nutritional status of children under five, nutrition education programs, and the difficulties of changing child feeding behavior; (2) the benefits of adapting the IMCI nutritional component; (3) research methods for effecting true change; (4) practical application of the primary consultative research tools for improving child feeding; (5) using consultative research to adapt the IMCI feeding recommendations to a local context; (6) using trials of improved practices (TIPS), the core method in consultative research, which consists of testing feeding recommendations in households; (7) presenting and validating findings of TIPS. Each module covers: instructional objectives; the time required for training; a series of sessions allowing for knowledge, information, and skills to be conveyed in a series of pre-planned steps; a sequence of exercises, led by the instructor, that reflect a specific pedagogical progression and that actively involve the trainees; tips for implementing each activity; teaching aids; and supplementary notes on the materials presented.