Canned Herring for Prevention of Childhood Malnutrition During the Early Rainy Season in Rural Guinea-Bissau

NCT02496247 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: GFN GB 2015
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1,200
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This study will test the effectiveness of a weekly village distribution of canned herring for prevention of malnutrition in children aged 2-5 years old during a food-insecure time of the year in rural villages in Guinea-Bissau. The study will use community health workers to conduct the herring distribution, making this a test that will provide valuable information on what could become a practical food aid supplementation practice. The primary study hypothesis is that distribution of canned herring as a weekly food supplement to families with young children at the beginning of the rainy season will prevent a seasonal decrease in weight-for-age Z-score (primary variable) of children with mild to moderate malnutrition at baseline.

Conditions

Malnutrition; Undernutrition

Keywords

malnutrition; undernutrition; Z-score; Guinea-Bissau; food aid

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change from Baseline in weight-for-age Z-score

  baseline, 8-10 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• height-for-age Z-score

  baseline, 8-10 weeks

• mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement

  baseline, 8-10 weeks

• weight

  baseline, 8-10 weeks

• height

  baseline, 8-10 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Immediate Herring

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm will receive the Canned Herring intervention. Families with children in this study arm will receive a weekly ration of herring throughout the 8-10 week study period (2 cans herring/day per study child), which will be distributed weekly by community health workers. Families will be instructed to feed the study child half a can of herring per day (without reducing usual home food given to the child), and to not share the remaining herring with individuals who are in the Delayed Herring study arm. When families come to collect their weekly distribution they will be asked to bring in at least 7 empty herring cans in order to receive the next ration, and will answer a question about how often the child eats the herring.

Other: Canned Herring

Delayed Herring (Control)

NO INTERVENTION

Families with children in this study arm will not receive any herring during the 8-10 week period when Immediate Herring families receive a weekly ration of herring. After the 8-10 week (end line) measurements, an equal amount of herring will be distributed to the family.

Interventions

Canned Herring OTHER

Families with children in this study arm will receive a weekly ration of herring throughout the 8-10 week study period (2 cans herring/day per study child).

Immediate Herring

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 2 Years - 5 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Village leaders willing to allow the study to take place in their village
• Village must have community health workers who are willing to do the weekly distribution of herring to enrolled families and are able to keep the necessary records documenting the distribution.
• Children age 2-5 currently living in a selected village
• Parents willing to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• If a child is identified with severe malnutrition at the baseline measurement, the family will be advised to take the child for treatment rather than participate in the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Global Food & Nutrition Inc.: lead
• Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute: collaborator
• International Partnership for Human Development: collaborator

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Malnutrition

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Study Officials

• Nina Schlossman

  Global Food & Nutrition Inc.

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Adrian Balan

  International Partnership for Human Development

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 30, 2015
• First Posted: July 14, 2015
• Study Start: May 1, 2015
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2015
• Study Completion: August 1, 2015
• Last Updated: February 11, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-02