Community Development and Nutrition Education in Banke District, Nepal: Effect on Child Health and Growth

NCT ID: NCT03516396

Last Updated: 2020-07-15

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1500 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2013-07-01

Study Completion Date

2019-12-31

Brief Summary

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Heifer Project International is a globally active NGO with more than 400 projects in over 30 countries. The organization uses the introduction of livestock and related training in the development of social capital as tools for poverty alleviation, citizen empowerment, and community development. In a pilot project conducted in 2009-2012, these activities were found to promote some improvement in child health and nutritional status. However, robust enhancement of these important indicators was not observed. Heifer now intends to investigate the efficacy of a nutrition and child health education program in amplifying these effects.

Detailed Description

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Child health and survival remain significant challenges in Nepal. Nepal is ranks 63rd highest in the world for "under 5 mortality" rate, with 54/1000 children dying before their 5th birthdays and 46/1000 infants dying before their first birthdays. Annually, more than 47,000 children die before reaching age 5 years. At these mortality levels, one in every 22 Nepalese children dies before reaching age 1, and one in every 19 does not survive to his or her fifth birthday. Nutritional status of children is extremely poor, with \~29% of children underweight and 41% stunted (respectively, weight and height \<-2 SD from median) (UNICEF, 2011) (Ministry of Health and Population et al., 2012).

Heifer Project International is a globally active NGO with more than 400 projects in over 30 countries. The organization uses the introduction of livestock and related training in the development of social capital as tools for poverty alleviation, citizen empowerment, and community development. Heifer International recognizes the links between poverty, child malnutrition, and disease. However, improving economic indicators is not always sufficient to improve child outcomes. Thus, the organization now wishes to conduct a systematic assessment to evaluate the effects of introducing a child health and nutrition component into their work, and to clarify the links (if any) between social capital training and child growth and health. In doing so, Heifer International expects to develop a model which could be adapted for use in other regions of the world. The interaction of Heifer community development activities, specific child and family characteristics, and child health and nutritional status will also be explored.

Conditions

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Malnutrition

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SEQUENTIAL

Randomized cluster design of households in rural Nepal. Groups will be randomized to receive either: (a) Training Only (livestock management and child nutrition), (b) Training plus enhanced community development activities, or (c) no inputs (Control). After 24 months, groups A and C will receive community development inputs
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Training Plus

Intervention: Community Development

Training plus enhanced community development activities

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Training Plus

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Training plus enhanced community development activities

Control

No inputs

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

No Inputs then Community development and training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

No inputs for 24 months then add community development and training

Training Only

Intervention: Training

Training Only (livestock management and child nutrition)

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Training Only

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Training Only (livestock management and child nutrition) for 24 months then add community development inputs

Interventions

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Training Plus

Training plus enhanced community development activities

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Training Only

Training Only (livestock management and child nutrition) for 24 months then add community development inputs

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

No Inputs then Community development and training

No inputs for 24 months then add community development and training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* child in household in designated study area of Nepal, age 1 month to 12 years
* family agrees to enrollment

Exclusion Criteria

* parent refuse to enroll child
Minimum Eligible Age

1 Month

Maximum Eligible Age

12 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Heifer Project International

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Tufts University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Laurie Miller, MD

Professor of Pediatrics

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Laurie C Miller, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Tufts University

References

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Miller LC, Neupane S, Joshi N, Lohani M, Rogers BL, Neupane S, Ghosh S, Webb P. Multisectoral community development in Nepal has greater effects on child growth and diet than nutrition education alone. Public Health Nutr. 2020 Jan;23(1):146-161. doi: 10.1017/S136898001900260X. Epub 2019 Sep 23.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 31544735 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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AID-OAA-L-1-00006

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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