A Feasibility Study of Delivering Adolescent Nutrition Interventions Through School-Based Platforms in Ethiopia

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1712 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-10-08

Study Completion Date

2021-04-29

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Alive \& Thrive (A\&T) is an initiative that supports the scaling up of nutrition interventions to save lives, prevent illnesses, and contribute to healthy growth and development through improved maternal nutrition, breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices. In Ethiopia, A\&T tested the feasibility of implementing a package of locally tailored adolescent nutrition interventions through school-based (flag assemblies, classroom lessons, girls' clubs, peer mentoring, weight and height measurement, and parent-teacher meetings) and community platforms (health post and home visits and community gatherings). The evaluation used a two-arm cluster-randomized, non-masked trial design, consisting of two cross-sectional surveys in 2019 and 2021.

Related Clinical Trials

Explore similar clinical trials based on study characteristics and research focus.

Alive & Thrive Nigeria Impact Evaluation

NCT02975063

Complementary Feeding

COMPLETED NA

A Follow-up Study on the Sustained Impact of Alive & Thrive Interventions on Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices

NCT02740842

Breastfeeding Complementary Feeding

COMPLETED NA

Effects of Complementary Feeding Counseling on Appropriate Complementary Feeding Practices and Child Undernutrition

NCT05871346

Feeding Behavior

COMPLETED NA

Developing and Validating Food-based Dietary Guidelines and a Healthy Eating Index

NCT03394963

Healthy

COMPLETED

Effects of a Pre-school-based Nutritional Intervention on Children's Eating Behavior and Anthropometric Parameters

NCT01656928

Obesity

COMPLETED NA

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Adolescence is a critical period of physical and psychological development and for achieving human potential. Rapid physical, psychosocial and cognitive growth and development is coupled with increased energy and nutrient requirements (Das et al., 2017; Spear 2002). Poor nutrition during adolescence can have adverse consequences impacting health in adulthood. The significance of nutrition during adolescence is especially important for girls, as poor nutrition can affect their well-being as well as the survival, health and well-being of their children (Das et al. 2017).

A\&T Ethiopia implemented a package of adolescent nutrition interventions through school-based (flag assemblies, classroom lessons, girls' clubs, peer mentoring, weight and height measurement, and parent-teacher meetings) and community platforms (health post and home visits and community gatherings). IFPRI tested the feasibility of the behavior-change interventions and examined their impacts on adolescent girls' diets, compared with standard school and community activities in control areas.

The evaluation used a two-arm cluster-randomized, non-masked trial design, consisting of two cross-sectional surveys of in-school adolescent girls aged 10-14 years enrolled in grades 4-8. The unit of randomization is the primary school which includes grades 1-8. The baseline survey was conducted in October-November 2019 (at the beginning of the school year), and the endline survey took place in March-April 2021 (following the end of first semester classes). In 2020, after 3 months of program implementation, program activities were halted from March to October (over 6 months) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thus the endline survey was postponed to the following school year after implementation was reinitiated.

The overall study objective was to determine the feasibility of delivering adolescent nutrition interventions primarily through school-based platforms and their impact on the diet of adolescent girls.

Research questions include:

1. What is the program impact on the diet of adolescent girls: (1) dietary diversity, (2) meal frequency, and (3) less consumption of unhealthy foods/junk foods?
2. What is the exposure to adolescent nutrition interventions delivered through school-based platforms?
3. What factors influenced the integration of adolescent nutrition interventions into school-based platforms and their outcomes?

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Dietary Diversity

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Intervention

A\&T intervention areas: adolescent-nutrition-focused behavior change interventions delivered through government primary schools and communities

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

School Interventions

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

1. Classroom lessons on nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices and handwashing.
2. Principals provide messages on nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices and handwashing at flag events or school assemblies.
3. Selected adolescent girls are mentored by science teachers as peer mentors and hold weekly group discussions with other girls to discuss nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices and handwashing.
4. Trained science teachers take anthropometric measurements of adolescent girls to calculate BMI and provide nutrition counseling.
5. Parent-teacher meetings to inform and encourage parents about adolescent nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy snacks, and handwashing.

Community Interventions

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

1. Home visits by HEWs and/or community volunteers to discuss with parents about adolescent nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices, and handwashing.
2. Community gatherings by HEWs and meetings with religious leaders to discuss with parents about adolescent nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices, and handwashing.

School System Interventions

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

1. Workshop on the adolescent nutrition interventions for school principals, science teachers, HEWs, supervisors, and woreda officers.
2. Biweekly supportive supervision on adolescent nutrition activities for schools and HEWs by school supervisors or woreda health/education office.

Control

Comparison areas: standard activities at government primary schools

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

School Interventions

1. Classroom lessons on nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices and handwashing.
2. Principals provide messages on nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices and handwashing at flag events or school assemblies.
3. Selected adolescent girls are mentored by science teachers as peer mentors and hold weekly group discussions with other girls to discuss nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices and handwashing.
4. Trained science teachers take anthropometric measurements of adolescent girls to calculate BMI and provide nutrition counseling.
5. Parent-teacher meetings to inform and encourage parents about adolescent nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy snacks, and handwashing.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Community Interventions

1. Home visits by HEWs and/or community volunteers to discuss with parents about adolescent nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices, and handwashing.
2. Community gatherings by HEWs and meetings with religious leaders to discuss with parents about adolescent nutrition, dietary diversity, healthy food choices, and handwashing.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

School System Interventions

1. Workshop on the adolescent nutrition interventions for school principals, science teachers, HEWs, supervisors, and woreda officers.
2. Biweekly supportive supervision on adolescent nutrition activities for schools and HEWs by school supervisors or woreda health/education office.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Currently enrolled in primary school grades 4-8
* Parental consent and informed assent received
* Principals, teachers, service providers and primary schools in the areas