Health influencer key
| CHW | Community Health Workers | Local health educators who deliver health information and services to communities. |
| ASHA | Accredited Social Health Activist | CHWs who help connect mothers to the formal healthcare system, including nutritional information. |
| AWW | Anganwadi Worker | CHWs who provide nutritional and health education services to families. |
| AWC | Anganwadi Centre | A rural childcare centre. AWCs define the catchment areas for ASHAs and AWWs. Anganwadi means ‘courtyard shelter’. |
| ANM | Auxiliary Nurse Midwife | CHWs based in health subcentres in India who first connect the community with health services. ANMs provide training and support for AWWs and ASHAs. The areas serviced by health subcentres are larger than AWCs and there may be 4–5 ASHAs (and AWCs) per ANM. |
| GovDoc | Government doctor | Professionally trained medical doctors working in the government healthcare system of India. |
| PrivClin | Private clinic | Privately owned facilities that exist in parallel to the government health facilities. |
| SHG | Self-help groups | Local community groups that provide educational and social support for members, typically meeting on a monthly basis. |
| FrRelNeigh | Friends, family members, neighbours, other relatives | |
| RMP* | Rural Medical Practitioner | Uncertified healthcare providers who nominally practise biomedicine but lack a formal approval or certification. |
| Pandit* | A Hindu priest. | |
| Maulvi* | A Muslim religious leader. | |
| Dai* | Traditional midwives who help mothers through pregnancy and provide support and preparation for delivery. |
*Dais are traditional birth attendants with a role similar to a midwife. Dais are not certified or trained by the government; however, they have extensive experience with the birthing process and learn through intergenerational knowledge. RMPs are another potential source of health-relevant information in Bihar. RMPs lack formal healthcare accreditation but often have some biomedical training. Religious leaders may also be consulted by women on a range of topics including rituals associated with the perinatal period. Pandits and Maulvis are, respectively, Hindu and Muslim religious leaders. There is a sizeable Muslim population in Bihar; however, 83% of the population practises Hinduism.37