CSBC CCA Behavioral Development Unit
Committed to advancing research and improving lives through behaviour science.
Jessica Mancuso, a PhD candidate at the University of Turin (UniTo) and a Doctoral Fellow at Collegio Carlo Alberto, recently spent a month at the Behavioral Insights Unit in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. She contributed to a field experiment led by the Behavioural Development Unit’s partner, the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC) at Ashoka University. Her project aims at improving awareness and testing for anemia among women in India.
In a conversation with the BDU, Jessica shared her experiences and insights from this impactful project.
Q: What motivated you to participate in this project, and how was your experience in India?
A: As a PhD student focusing on development, I was thrilled to join this project and spend time in India, closely following its implementation. My experience at the Behavioral Insights Unit in Lucknow was incredibly enriching. I had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with the CSBC team, gaining valuable insights into conducting impactful research that addresses challenges in the developing world. It was a unique chance to see firsthand how behavioral insights can be applied to improve health outcomes in such a critical area.
Q: Can you tell us more about the field experiment you worked on?
A: The project is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) aimed at addressing anemia, a significant public health issue in India, particularly among women of reproductive age. In states like Uttar Pradesh, where we are conducting the study, the prevalence of anemia is alarmingly high, with around 57% of women affected by it. The trial seeks to determine whether integrating anemia awareness and management into a soft skills training program for young women can increase the uptake of hemoglobin testing and improve health outcomes.
Q: What makes this study unique, and how is it structured?
A: What’s innovative about this study is its integration of health education into a broader developmental program. The training program we’re working with already focuses on soft skills, but by adding a module on anemia, we’re directly addressing a critical health issue that affects women's productivity and career prospects. The study involves over 1,000 young women, divided into two groups: a treatment group that receives the training and anemia module, and a control group that will receive it after the study concludes. We provided all participants with vouchers for free hemoglobin tests to measure the impact of the module on testing uptake.
Q: Can you share something about the behavioral aspects of anemia among young, college-educated women in UP?
A: Among the women in our study, we observe that while many were aware of anemia and its risks, this knowledge didn’t always lead to action. The most interesting behavioral aspect is the disconnect between understanding the importance of health and prioritizing it in a busy life. Competing demands, such as work or studies, often led them to delay or overlook simple preventative measures like a hemoglobin test. We are interested to learn if linking health to career aspirations and future success nudges women to take proactive steps, suggesting that framing health behaviors in the context of personal and professional goals - rather than only pregnancy and motherhood - can be an effective approach.
Q: What are the expected outcomes of this RCT, and how could they impact future health policies?
A: We hope to see a significant increase in anemia testing among the women who received the training and education module, indicating that the information provided effectively reduces the gap between the intention to get tested and actually doing so. Additionally, by collecting data on the participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding anemia, we can evaluate behavioral changes and the mechanisms driving these changes. The findings could guide policymakers in developing more effective strategies to combat anemia, potentially improving the health and well-being of millions of women across India.
Q: What are the next steps in this project, and what do you hope to achieve?
A: The formal training program for the treated groups just finished and we are now implementing a digital nudges intervention. We’ll collect endline data in the coming months before the control group begins their training. This data will provide insights into the effectiveness of integrating health education into developmental programs. Ultimately, we aim to contribute to ongoing efforts to reduce anemia prevalence in India by ensuring that women have the knowledge and resources they need to lead healthy, productive lives.
Jessica’s work in India highlights the critical intersection of health and development and the potential of behavioral insights to drive meaningful change. Her experience underscores the importance of cross-cultural collaboration in addressing global challenges.
Are you passionate about creating impactful solutions to address critical health and social issues? The Behavioural Development Unit (BDU) invites you to participate in our Intervention Design Competition, aimed at fostering innovative approaches to tackle key challenges in Uttar Pradesh, India.
We challenge Economics Ph.D. and Master students of the CCA community to design a behavioural intervention targeting one of the following areas:
- Health (early childhood nutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, IFA tablet uptake among pregnant women or adolescents, deworming tablet adherence through school programs, fetal heart rate monitoring in government health facilities)
- Zero vaccine children
- Gender norms, domestic violence and intimate partner violence, and women’s labor force participation
- Road safety
Whether it's through nudges, choice architecture, norm change communication, or other innovative strategies, we're looking for proposals that can make a real difference in the lives of people in Uttar Pradesh.
Students are invited to present their ideas during a forthcoming BDU online meeting scheduled for March 28, 2024. Following insightful feedback and recommendations provided by unit members, students are tasked with refining their concepts into the framework of a research grant proposal, encompassing 5 to 10 pages, to be submitted no later than April 30th, 2024 (please send it e.esposito@unito.it).
The proposal deemed most auspicious will be chosen, allowing students to continue their development within the auspices of the BDU and subsequently submit them for international funding consideration.
Interested students, please write to e.esposito@unito.it. Looking forward to hearing from you!