Comprehensive Nutritional Support for Children in Zambia (ZamCNC) - A Pilot Investigation

NCT ID: NCT07153913

Last Updated: 2026-01-07

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 64 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-09-05
• Study Completion Date: 2027-12-31

Brief Summary

In a recently completed intervention study, more than 50% of children in Lusaka were found to be stunted by age two, even when nutritional supplements were provided. It seems likely that these high rates of stunting are primarily due to inadequate basic nutritional intake. The main goal of this project is investigate this conjecture through a small pilot study that will be conducted in the urban area of Lusaka.

Detailed Description

This is very small cluster-randomized trial, with 64 families recruited from 4 selected neighbourhoods. 2 of these neighbourhoods will be selected for nutritional counselling and food support.

Children ages 6-12 months old and their caregivers will be included. Exclusion criteria: low birth weight; planning to move; twins.

All families will complete a baseline and endline assessment - each lasting approximately 30-45 minutes.

Children in the two intervention clusters will receive a visit every two weeks to discuss child nutrition, and to monitor height and weight gains. We will also provide additional food/groceries to mothers in the treatment group, i.e. to the 32 families in the two neighborhoods selected for treatment.

Conditions

Malnourished Children; Stunting of Growth

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Control arm

Families in control group will not receive any support through the study

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Food provision and nutritional counseling

Families will receive intensive support including bi-weekly nutritional counseling and weekly dropoffs of locally acquired food.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Intensive growth support

Intervention Type: OTHER

For women in the intervention group, we will develop a nutritional plan for the child in collaboration with the mother. Mothers will then receive a visit every other week - during this visit, children's health and nutrition will be discussed, and height and weight will be measured by field officers. Detailed food recommendations will be made based on national and international infant and young child feeding guidelines. To ensure appropriate foods are available, field workers will drop off local foods on a weekly basis.

Interventions

Intensive growth support

For women in the intervention group, we will develop a nutritional plan for the child in collaboration with the mother. Mothers will then receive a visit every other week - during this visit, children's health and nutrition will be discussed, and height and weight will be measured by field officers. Detailed food recommendations will be made based on national and international infant and young child feeding guidelines. To ensure appropriate foods are available, field workers will drop off local foods on a weekly basis.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

• expected to move
• no child health card
• participating in cash transfer programs

• Minimum Eligible Age: 6 Months
• Maximum Eligible Age: 12 Months
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Günther Fink

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Günther Fink

Unit Head and Professor

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Günther Fink, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Swiss Tropical & Public Health Institute

Locations

Innovations for Poverty Action Zambia

Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia

Countries

Zambia

Other Identifiers

ZamCnC

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id