Chama Cha MamaToto: a Pilot Study of Peer Support Groups in Kenya

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Preventing maternal and newborn deaths remain high on the global agenda. To address this, the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), in partnership with the Government of Kenya, launched Chama cha MamaToto, a community-led peer-support model that groups women together in pregnancy and infancy. Central to the chama approach is the integration of health, social and financial literacy education with a savings/loans program.

Detailed Description
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To evaluate the feasibility of chamas, we analysed group attendance rates, GISE participation, membership retention, and continuation of the groups beyond the one year. To evaluate the effect of chamas, the investigators compared data from a prospective cohort of women in chamas with a group of controls who did not belong to a chama, matched for age, parity, and location of prenatal care. To evaluate the acceptability of chamas, FGDs were carried out with chama and non-chama participants, health providers and community health workers.

Official Title
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Increasing Pregnancy Health Services Uptake Through Integrated Peer Support Groups in Kenya: A Prospective Cohort Study

Conditions
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Pregnancy Related, Group, Peer

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Chama cha Mamtoto


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Pregnant women in communities where chamas were taking place Any woman attending chama Exclusion Criteria: -

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 15 Years
Maximum Age: 70 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Chama cha MamaToto<br>Pregnant women in communities where chama cha mamatoto is taking place will be invited to join and participate in bi-weekly group meetings for a year | Behavioral: Chama cha Mamtoto<br>* Chama cha Mamatoto is a community-based model of peer support group in pregnancy and infancy that combines health education, relationship building and a savings and loans program, led by community health workers<br>|
| No Intervention: Referent<br>Pregnant women attending at least one prenatal visit in communities where chama cha mamatoto was implemented three months later served as the comparison | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Facility delivery | Proportion of women giving birth in a health facility based on questionnaire | 22 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4 ANC visits | attendance at 4 or more ANC visits in pregnancy based on questionnaire | 22 months | 
| CHV homevisit | CHW homevisit within 48 hours of birth based on questionnaire | 22 months | 
| Exclusive breastfeeding | Initiation of solids to the infant after 6 months based on questionnaire | 22 months |