The Role of the Opinion Leader Research Process in Informing Policy Making for Improved Nutrition: Experience and Lessons Learned in Southeast Asia.

Amy Weissman,Tuan T Nguyen,Roger Mathisen,Hoa T Nguyen

doi:10.1093/cdn/nzaa093

Abstract

ABSTRACTOpinion leader research (OLR) has been widely used in public health to identify influential persons or organizations to affect health care practice, inform policy-making processes, and help shape communication strategies. We used OLR to gather information related to barriers and possible solutions to guide strategic engagement for strengthening policy making for improved maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN) practices in 5 Southeast Asian countries—Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Thailand. In most countries, MIYCN policies and policymaker interest exist, but effective implementation and/or enforcement of current policies is weak. This article aims to share our experience in and lessons learned from using OLR as an advocacy tool: It helped identify opinion leaders with interest and influence to affect nutrition-related policies, it raised opinion leaders’ interest in MIYCN, and it identified themes that would help generate political priority setting. Based on our experience, we recommend OLR as a strategic activity for informing and generating support for MIYCN policy-making processes.

Highlights

Opinion leaders are individuals with social influence within groups who typically serve as the hub of an interpersonal communications network [1]
Our results confirm that Opinion leader research (OLR) is a useful approach for informing MIYCN-related advocacy processes as per the original 3 OLR studies supported by Alive & Thrive in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam; the results expand our understanding of OLR as part of the policy advocacy process
Based on our experience in Vietnam and in the 5 countries that were the focus of this study, we learned valuable lessons, including that the OLR results are not necessarily as important as the OLR process

Summary

Introduction

Opinion leaders are individuals with social influence within groups who typically serve as the hub of an interpersonal communications network [1]. Because they are considered credible and trustworthy, these leaders typically are role models for others, and their opinions and behaviors are well respected. This means opinion leaders can support the adoption of new ideas or actions, at an accelerated pace [2]. According to a systematic review of 18 randomized controlled trials involving ∼300 hospitals in the United States, Canada, China

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