Click arrow buttons below to view slideshow on how 6 strategies make for strong program design.

An intervention study encouraging Vietnamese fathers to support breastfeeding

Dr. Bich of Hanoi School of Public

Health literally wrote the book on

"Father's Involvement and Child

Development" in Viet Nam. So

when he and his team were

awarded an A&T innovation grant

to create and evaluate a program

to help fathers support their wives

to breastfeed exclusively, it was

clear that they would have some

creative ideas about what would

appeal to fathers.

Strategy 1. Grab their attention with emotion – and humor! This cartoon image made fathers chuckle and brought fathers back to the clinic to ask for more mugs.

Strategy 2: Find fathers where they already are. Staff shifted the group counseling sessions on breastfeeding to the monthly immunization day, when fathers already came to the clinic.

Strategy 3: Ease the way by busting stereotypes. Teams of dads prepare to go head-to-head at the district contest, making it seem manly to speak up for breastfeeding.

A jury of professionals scored each team's creative introduction, knowledge quiz, and response to a true-to-life interactive video scenario challenging exclusive breastfeeding.

Strategy 4: Give fathers practice. During the contest, each team of fathers must respond to a typical challenge to breastfeeding. The team watches a short, interactive video scenario. The video sets up the beginning of the story but does not provide an ending. The team must complete the scenario by offering some words the father could use to respond to the challenge.

Here the father asks, “What would you do?”

Watch sample scenario video in next slide

Strategy 5: Provide crystal-clear direction for actions fathers can take. A key strategy is to name small, doable actions fathers can take. The project’s poster and brochure offer a detailed list.

Read specific actions listed in

brochure for fathers

Strategy 6: Show fathers a benefit that they care about. Messaging makes fathers feel special in the supporting role. Fathers can see how their actions could increase exclusive breastfeeding and improve baby’s intellect and health.

View specific benefits on program

brochure

The challenge

The innovation

The study design

Preliminary results

How did it work?Behavioral Theory

Access more information on the Viet Nam study