Maternal willingness to pay for infant and young child nutrition counseling services in Vietnam.
BACKGROUND
Alive & Thrive Vietnam, a 6-year initiative (2009-2014), has developed and incorporated elements of social franchising into government health services to provide high-quality nutrition counseling services to improve infant and young child feeding practices. One element of franchising that has not yet been implemented is fee for service, which is a potential financing mechanism for sustaining services in the long run.


OBJECTIVE
This research aims to estimate maternal willingness to pay (WTP) for nutrition counseling services and to examine potential factors associated with their WTP.


METHODS
Data were drawn from an impact evaluation survey of 2,511 women with a child <2 years old from four provinces in Vietnam. An iterative bidding technique was employed to explore individual WTP. The first bid was defined as VND 20,000 (~US$ 1), which was approximately the level of the actual service cost. Depending on the participant response, the bid increased or decreased. Finally, the respondents were asked about the highest price they would be willing to pay for the service.


RESULTS
Overall, 92.6% of clients reported a need for nutrition counseling services for children <2 years. The WTP rates at bid levels of VND 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 40,000, and 100,000 were 95.2, 94.4, 90.7, 68.9, and 33.4%, respectively. The mean and median of the maximum WTP were VND 58,500 and 50,000, respectively. In multiple regression models, WTP rates were higher among younger women, the Kinh majority group, and better educated and wealthier women.


CONCLUSIONS
A high demand for nutrition counseling coupled with a WTP by almost all segments of society would potentially cover costs of delivery for nutrition counseling services in Vietnam.
International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA; P.H.Nguyen@cgiar.org.
Phuong H
PH
Nguyen
Center for Health System Research, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Minh V
MV
Hoang
FHI360, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Nemat
N
Hajeebhoy
FHI360, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Lan M
LM
Tran
Center for Health System Research, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Chung H
CH
Le
International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Purnima
P
Menon
International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
Rahul
R
Rawat
D003376:Counseling / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal / Q000191:economics*; D006266:Health Education / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009035:Mothers; D014744:Vietnam
Vietnam; infant and young child feeding practice; nutrition counseling services; willingness to pay