Barriers and facilitators to the implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care in the community - A qualitative study

Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for low birth weight infants (LBWIs) has been shown to prevent disease and improve infant survival. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to KMC implementation and identify solutions for overcoming the barriers. This study was a rapid qualitative study included in-depth interviews and observations with ten LBWIs' mothers post-discharge from Koja District Hospital, North Jakarta and five health workers in North Jakarta. The informants were selected by consecutive sampling. Observations explored KMC practices among LBWIs’ mothers, and in-depth interviews identified barriers and facilitators to KMC practice and explored feasible solutions for handling the barriers. The data was analysed by thematic analysis approach and validated by source triangulation. Four themes of barriers and facilitators of KMC implementation in the community were buy-in and bonding, family support, household works, and medical concerns. Community health workers empowerment and antenatal care awareness emerged as feasible solutions for overcoming barriers to KMC practice in the community.