Survey methods
In late 2014 we completed a household census in village hamlets in
the Udaipur district in Rajasthan, India to confirm the eligibility
of the hamlet, enumerate the population, and identify potential respondents
for inclusion. We conducted a baseline survey in early 2015 among
3177 mothers with a child between one and six years of age living
in 160 village hamlets from five blocks. After describing the study
objectives, procedures, potential risks, potential benefits, voluntary
nature, confidentiality and privacy protections, and compensation,
each eligible respondent was asked if they would consent to participate.
This was done in written form for respondents who could read and write
and orally for those who could not. Each respondent who agreed to
participate received a blanket, valued at 100 rupees (Rs.), as compensation
at the completion of the survey interview.
The survey questionnaire was translated from English to the local
Hindi language by a professional translator, and the software for
recording responses via tablet was by the Institute for Financial
Management and Research—Leveraging Evidence for Access
and Development (IFMR-LEAD) software team. To minimize error a survey
supervisor observed each surveyor for one survey each day, monitoring
for correctness in asking survey questions, providing necessary clarifications,
and responding to respondent questions. A random set of 10 % of completed
surveys was selected for back-checks–a list of questions
asked in the survey that are unlikely to change over a short time
period, like the number of children, respondent’s marital
and educational status and employment history. The back-check team
independently re-interviewed the respondents and entered their responses
into a software program designed to test these questions for identical
responses. A third party clarified any discrepancies between the original
survey response and the back-check response. More detail on specific
outcome measures and covariates are provided below.