Table 1 Study aims and the quantitative and qualitative methods applied to answer them

Survey of 426 postnatal mothers

4 focus group discussions with mothers

Concurrent triangulation: quantitative and qualitative data were separately collected and analysed. The methods were integrated when interpreting the results.

8 in-depth interviews with mothers

5 in-depth interviews with nurse counsellors

4 observations of PMTCT counsellings

1) Assessment of the utilization of the PMTCT services, in particular HIV counselling and testing, in five reproductive and child health clinics in Moshi after the implementation of routine counselling and testing

Descriptive statistics:

Exploring the mothers':

   Quantification of the utilization of the PMTCT service in terms of numbers of mothers counselled and tested

quantitative + qualitative aim

Frequencies of:

   Attitudes to the PMTCT programme

And

   Antenatal attendance

   Experiences of the programme

   Insight into experiences and attitudes to the programme among the mothers and the nurse counsellors (the social and subjective context)

   Received counselling

   Barriers to the utilization of the programme

   Offered test

Exploring the nurse counsellors':

   Tested

   experiences of the mothers acceptance and utilization of the programme

   Received results

   perceived barriers to the programme

   Urban/rural comparison: Pearson χ²

2) Exploring the level of knowledge the mothers had about PMTCT

Descriptive statistics:

Exploring the mothers':

   Quantification of the mother's knowledge on the different questions, compare groups and assess associations

quantitative + qualitative aim

Frequencies of:

   Knowledge about PMTCT

And

   Percentage of correct answers to the different questions about PMTCT

   misconceptions regarding PMTCT

   Validate these findings through a qualitative approach

Urban/rural comparison: Pearson χ²

   Reveal and explore misconceptions

Logistic regression: assessment of factors associated with having little knowledge about PMTCT

3) Assessment of the quality of the counselling given

Descriptive statistics:

Exploring the mothers':

   Quantify numbers of mothers counselled

predominant qualitative aim

Frequencies of:

   Experience of and opinions about the counselling received

   Indirectly measured by the level of knowledge

   Mothers who had received information on HIV and infant feeding counselling

   Understanding of the subjects covered

And

Indirectly measured by the level of PMTCT knowledge

Exploring the nurse counsellors':

   Insight into which subjects the mothers were actually counselled in and which were lacking

   Knowledge about PMTCT

   Insight into the knowledge and confidence of the nurse counsellors and their perceived barriers to the counselling

   Perceptions about the counselling given

   Insight into the counselling session and the communication during the counselling

   Perception about barriers to the counselling

Exploration of the counselling sessions:

   Subjects covered

   Level of communication between counsellor and mother