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Table 1 Brief descriptions of the study populations in the four areas

From: Is essential newborn care provided by institutions and after home births? Analysis of prospective data from community trials in rural South Asia

Project partner

Perinatal Care Project (PCP)

Ekjut

MIRA (Makwanpur)

MIRA (Dhanusha)

Study setting

Rural Bangladesh

Rural Eastern India

Rural Nepal (middle hills)

Rural Nepal (lowlands)

Location of clusters

Bogra, Maulvibazaar and Faridpur Districts

West Singhbhum and Saraikela Districts (Jharkhand); Keonjhar District (Odisha)

Makwanpur District, central region middle hills.

Dhanusha District, plains of Nepal.

Period for which data are included (dates of birth)

1st Feb 2005–31st Dec 2009

1st July 2005–30th June 2008

1st November 2001–31st October 2004 (Phase 1)

1st September 2006–13th April 2011

1st November 2004–31st October 2008 (Phase 2)

Total estimated study population

478 000

228 000

400 000

670 000

Design

Two-by-two factorial cluster RCT which ran from 1st Feb 2005 to 31st Dec 2007. A new trial took place using the same clusters from 2009-2011. Data continued to be collected in all clusters from 1st Jan 2008 to 31 Dec 2009 and continued into the new trial period (not included here).

Cluster RCT

Cluster RCT

Two-by-two factorial cluster RCT

Stratification

By district (3 strata)

By district (3 strata)

None

By cluster size (2 strata)

Cluster characteristics

Villages making up a union

8-10 villages with most residents classified as tribal or other backward class

Village development committee

Village development committee

Total number of clusters (number included in this study)

18 (9)

36 (18)

24 (12) (Phase 1)

60 (30)

30 (6) (Phase 2–former control clusters became intervention clusters and 6 new control clusters recruited)

Annual births sampled per cluster (after exclusions): Mean (SD)

596 (119)

171 (38)

115 (70)

104 (17)

Approximate cluster population

28 000

6400

4000

8000