Take exclusive breastfeeding as an example.

Mothers in the unconscious (or pre-consideration) stage believe that their current behavior (giving water and food to the baby) is completely fine, so it is necessary to "make them aware of the problem" through educational and awareness-raising activities. Next, those in the awareness stage are aware of the problem with their current behavior, but are hesitant to actually take action because they feel anxious about the costs of doing so (for example, not giving anything other than breast milk, which takes up their time). Many people get stuck at this stage and are unable to move on. For those at this stage, it is necessary to explain that the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding outweigh the costs, dispel their anxieties, and give them the confidence to take a step forward. In the next preparation stage, they have already begun to take concrete actions. For example, they may listen to the stories of people who are exclusively breastfeeding. For those at this stage, specific know-how on how to breastfeed, advice, and support groups are effective. Mothers in the action stage have actually started exclusive breastfeeding. However, many mothers give up when they face difficulties such as crying babies or not producing enough breast milk. At this stage, praising behaviours that have already been initiated and providing problem-solving support to overcome difficulties with breastfeeding can be useful.

As you can see, behavior change is at various stages depending on the person, and at each stage it is influenced by various factors, and progresses by sometimes going back and forth.So Barrier Analysis aims to conduct interviews in the target area to find out at what stage mothers are most likely to be and what obstacles are keeping them there.Based on what we find from the survey, we will identify appropriate messages and targets, and work on individual mothers or their surrounding environments to remove obstacles and promote behavior change.