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PR, 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; IFPRI3; ISI; CRP4; DCA, PHND; A4NH, CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), Improving diet quality of preschool children is challenging in countries undergoing food environment and nutrition transition. However, few studies have sought to understand how mothers in these countries decide what and how to feed their children. This study aims to explore maternal experiences, perspectives and beliefs when making food choice decisions for preschool children in urban, peri-urban and rural areas in northern Vietnam. Two focus group discussions and 24 in-depth interviews were carried out and analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that mothers across the urban–rural spectrum shared the intention to feed children safe, nutritious food for better health and weight gain while satisfying child food preferences to improve appetite and eating enjoyment. These food choice intentions were embedded within family food traditions, whereby mothers emphasised nutritious food and adopted strict feeding styles during lunch and dinner but were flexible and accommodating of child preferences during breakfast and side meals. These intentions were also embedded within the physical food environment, which provided a mix of healthy and unhealthy food through informal food retailers. Despite these intentions, mothers faced financial constraints and difficulties in managing children's refusal to chew, changes in eating mood and strong eating temperament. These findings support policies to limit the presence of unhealthy food in informal food retail and encourage meal-specific feeding strategies to help children enjoy nutritious food, transition from soft to textured food and become more cooperative during mealtime.

PR, IFPRI3; ISI; Alive and Thrive; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; CRP4; IFPRIOA; POSHAN, PHND; A4NH; SAR, CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), Background: To address gaps in coverage and quality of nutrition services, Alive & Thrive (A&T) strengthened the delivery of maternal nutrition interventions through government antenatal care (ANC) services in Uttar Pradesh, India. The impact evaluation of the A&T interventions compared intensive (I-ANC) to standard (S-ANC) areas and found modest impacts on micronutrient supplementation, dietary diversity, and weight gain monitoring. Objectives: This study examined intervention-specific program impact pathways (PIP) and identified reasons for limited impacts of the A&T maternal nutrition intervention package. Methods: We used mixed methods: frontline workers surveys (FLWs, n∼500); counseling observations (n = 407); and qualitative in-depth interviews with FLWs, supervisors, and block-level staff (n = 59). We assessed seven PIP domains: training and materials, knowledge, supportive supervision, supply chains, data use, service delivery, and counseling. Results: Exposure to training improved in both I-ANC and S-ANC areas with more job aids used in I-ANC versus S-ANC (90 vs.70%), but gaps remained for training content and refresher trainings. FLW's knowledge improvement was higher in I-ANC than S-ANC (22–36 percentage points), but knowledge on micronutrient supplement benefits and recommended foods was insufficient (<50%). Most FLWs received supervision (>90%), but supportive supervision was limited by staff vacancies and competing work priorities. Supplies of iron-folic acid and calcium supplements were low in both areas (30–50% stock-outs). Use of monitoring data during review meetings was higher in I-ANC than S-ANC (52 vs. 36%), but was constrained by time, understanding, and data quality. Service provision improved in both I-ANC and S-ANC areas, but counseling on supplement benefits and weight gain monitoring were low (30–40%). Conclusions: Systems-strengthening efforts improved maternal nutrition interventions in ANC, but gaps remained. Taking an intervention-spec

PR, IFPRI3; ISI; DCA; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; IFPRIOA, PHND

Retention of non-traditional college students has been a significant concern for postsecondary institutions, students, their families, and society. This study sought to explore the relationships between grit, academic mindset, first-year GPA, and the perceptions of students related to persistence. Braxton and associates’ Revised Theory of Student Departure in Commuter College and Universities served as the theoretical framework for this study. This study was exploratory, sequential mixed method design, incorporating survey data from 2015 as well as qualitative interview data from 2020 and 2021. Results indicated a negative, moderate relationship between grit scores and mindset scores, a weak, negative relationship between academic mindset and first-year college GPA, a positive, moderate relationship between grit scores and first-year GPA. In addition, participants perceived that having a productive academic mindset, family support, supportive faculty and staff, flexible course offerings, and affordability could be factors influencing their persistence in postsecondary education settings. Given these findings, institutions should consider developing programming to improve faculty and staff support, becoming more family friendly, utilizing intentional and flexible course scheduling, and review costs of obtaining a postsecondary credential and begin to look for more ways in which college might be more affordable.