title: Evidence from the field: Findings on issues related to planning, implementing and evaluating gender-based programs.
abstract: An Initiative of the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health (OWH), Coalition for a Healthier Community (CHC), supports ten grantees across the U.S. in the implementation of gender-based health interventions targeting women and girls. A national evaluation is assessing whether gender-focused public health systems approaches are sustainable and cost effective in addressing health disparities in women and girls. To inform the evaluation, a systematic examination was conducted of literature in both the public and private sector designed to track, assess, understand, and improve women's health, public health systems approaches, and the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of gender-based programs. A two-person team assured the quality of the results following the review of abstracts and full-text articles. Of 123 articles meeting eligibility criteria (See inclusion criteria described in Section 2.2 below), only 18 met inclusion criteria specific to a focus on a systems approach, cost-effectiveness and/or sustainability. Studies assessing systems approaches suggested their effectiveness in changing perceptions and increasing knowledge within a community; increasing involvement of local decision-makers and other community leaders in women's health issues; and increasing community capacity to address women and girls' health. Further evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of gender-based approaches is needed.
authors.affiliation: The MayaTech Corporation, 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 825, Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States. Electronic address: skowalczyk@mayatech.com.
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kowalczyk
authors.affiliation: The MayaTech Corporation, 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 825, Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States. Electronic address: srandolph@mayatech.com.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Randolph
authors.affiliation: The MayaTech Corporation, 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 825, Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States.
authors.forename: Shereitte
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stokes
authors.affiliation: The MayaTech Corporation, 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 825, Silver Spring, MD 20910, United States. Electronic address: swinston@mayatech.com.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Winston
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D011634:Public Health; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D014483:United States Dept. of Health and Human Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Evaluations; Gender-based approaches; Systematic literature review; Women and girls’ health