Nudging Caregivers and Mothers towards Healthy Behavior

Prakarsh Singh of Amherst College in the U.S. will test different financial incentives to motivate staff at day care centers in India to improve their performance. These day care centers provide meals for preschoolers and nutritional education to their mothers, however the service is often below optimal. They will perform a randomized trial in slum areas of Chandigarh to evaluate three different methods to financially reward caregivers for improving the weight-for-height of malnourished children visiting their day care centers. They will also conduct spot checks of the centers to evaluate the effect of their scheme on the numbers and nutritional quality of meals served, and the condition of the center, as well as surveying mothers' opinions.