Establishing a Community-led, Family-centered Mental Wellness Initiative in Rural Tanzania

One in three children under the age of five in Tanzania experience stunting, which is defined as impairments in growth and development that often occur after poor nutrition, poor health, and low psychosocial stimulation. Research suggests that mental health problems of parents may be related to stunting outcomes and parental mental health is closely related to experiences of intimate partner violence, also called gender-based violence. However, very little research exists on the connection between these elements, and interventions may be necessary in order to reduce the impacts that mental health and gender-based violence may have on stunting.

This study is a secondary data analysis of de-identified survey and stunting data that were conducted as a part of a needs assessment by a local nonprofit organization in Tanzania. The needs assessment was conducted to inform a mental health initiative organized by the established nonprofit across 5 villages in rural Tanzania. This project's primary aims are:

• To determine the prevalence of mental health and family relationship problems in five villages
• To determine associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) mental health and substance use and childhood stunting