Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project

NCT02761876 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 1511005983
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 700
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test if a participatory, agroecological peer farmer-led education intervention can be effective at improving legume production, food security, and infant and young child feeding practices in Singida District, Tanzania.

Conditions

Malnutrition

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in dietary diversity score (mean and proportion of score >4)

  As defined by World Health Organization (see Citations), this refers to the number of food groups (out of 7) consumed by children the previous day ."

  Twice a year for the first three years of study (2016, 2017, 2018) and once in the final year (2019)

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Change in mean child's height-for-age z-score

  Twice a year for the first three years of study (2016, 2017, 2018) and once in the final year (2019)

• Change in proportion of children who are stunted (HAZ<-2)

  Twice a year for the first three years of study (2016, 2017, 2018) and once in the final year (2019)

• Change in mean child's weight-for-height z-score

  Twice a year for the first three years of study (2016, 2017, 2018) and once in the final year (2019)

• Change in proportion of children who are wasted (WHZ<-2)

  Twice a year for the first three years of study (2016, 2017, 2018) and once in the final year (2019)

• Change in mean Food Insecurity Score

  Twice a year for the first three years of study (2016, 2017, 2018) and once in the final year (2019)

Study Arms (2)

Intervention (Participatory education)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participatory education

Behavioral: Mentor farmer training (Malawi); Behavioral: Mentor farmer training (Singida, Tanzania); Behavioral: Mentor farmer visits and facilitation

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Delayed participatory education

Interventions

Mentor farmer training (Malawi) BEHAVIORAL

Mentor farmers, 1 man, 1 woman, from each village will participate in a field visit to and training by existing mentor farmers in Malawi. Only the intervention arm of this study will receive mentor farmer training in Malawi, delayed intervention arm will receive mentor farmer training from farmers participating in the initial intervention in Tanzania.

Intervention (Participatory education)

Mentor farmer training (Singida, Tanzania) BEHAVIORAL

Mentor farmers will receive training in Singida, Tanzania on agroecology practices, climate change, nutrition, and gender equality. Intervention villages will receive training in 2016. Delayed intervention villages will receive training in 2019.

Intervention (Participatory education)

Mentor farmer visits and facilitation BEHAVIORAL

Mentor farmers will conduct monthly visits to participating households and support the households in conducting experimentation with agroecological practices and/or new behavior regarding nutrition and gender equality. Quarterly meetings among farmers within each village will be held to discuss progress and challenges of household experimentations. Intervention households will receive support and facilitation for approximately 2 years. Delayed intervention households will receive support and facilitation for approximately 6 months after end line survey.

Intervention (Participatory education)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: Up to 100 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Are among the most vulnerable, as indicated by food insecurity
• Have a child who will be \<= 1 year old in February 2016
• Are farmers who have regular access to the same farms/plots (but they do not need to own the land per se)
• Female headed households are acceptable, so long as not more than half the selected households in the village are female headed (to be able to detect change in gender equity)
• Willing to stay in study for 3 years, i.e. do not plan to move
• Interested in experimenting with new farming techniques

You may not qualify if:

• Refuses to take part

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cornell University: lead
• Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology: collaborator
• Action Aid Tanzania: collaborator
• Ilonga Agricultural Research Institute: collaborator

Related Publications (1)

• Santoso MV, Bezner Kerr RN, Kassim N, Martin H, Mtinda E, Njau P, Mtei K, Hoddinott J, Young SL. A Nutrition-Sensitive Agroecology Intervention in Rural Tanzania Increases Children's Dietary Diversity and Household Food Security But Does Not Change Child Anthropometry: Results from a Cluster-Randomized Trial. J Nutr. 2021 Jul 1;151(7):2010-2021. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxab052.

  PMID: 33973009 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Malnutrition

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Study Officials

• Rachel N Bezner Kerr, MS PhD

  Cornell University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Sera L Young, MA PhD

  Cornell University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Elias Mtinda

  Action Aid Tanzania

  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: March 11, 2016
• First Posted: May 4, 2016
• Study Start: February 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2019
• Study Completion: May 1, 2019
• Last Updated: October 8, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-10