A Theory-based Nutrition Education Intervention to Enhance Complementary Feeding Practices Among Young Children in Southern Ethiopia
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Infant Malnutrition
- Sponsor
- Texas Tech University
- Enrollment
- 180
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Dietary diversity score
- Last Updated
- 5 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Child undernutrition is a worldwide public health problem that has persisted in African countries. For instance, the most recently reported prevalence rates of stunting (38%), underweight (24%), and wasting (10%) among children under the age of five in Ethiopia is higher than the global prevalence. The causes of undernutrition are classified in the following manner: immediate causes, such as inadequate dietary intakes; underlying causes, such as household food insecurity and inadequate care and feeding practices; and basic causes, which involve the household's inadequate access to education, employment, and income, among others. Evidence has demonstrated that nutrition education interventions (NEI) may influence both underlying and immediate causes of child undernutrition. For instance, nutrition education interventions have the potential of preventing the underlying causes of child undernutrition by improving mothers' knowledge in care and feeding practices, and further improving the quality and quantity of dietary intake, which is considered an immediate cause of child undernutrition. Moreover, nutrition education interventions designed to improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, such as dietary diversity, frequency, and adequacy, are considered a high impact strategy that may substantially reduce stunting. Preliminary data from Hawassa University (collaborating institution in this project) demonstrated that approximately 86% of the children residing in Arsi Negele, Wondo Genet, and Dale districts in Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' (SNNP) regions in Ethiopia do not receive adequate complementary feeding practices. Such lack of optimal complementary feeding practices may compromise a child's growth, development, and survival. Therefore, there is a critical need for improving child complementary feeding practices to promote their well-being and adequate nutritional status. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to improve child feeding practices and related nutritional status by improving the mother's knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of complementary feeding practices for their children aged six to 23 months in three woredas located in Oromia and SNNP. It is hypothesized that after the NEI mothers will improve their children' dietary diversity, frequency and adequacy.
Detailed Description
Elegibility criteria: residents that have lived in Arsi Negele, Wondo Genet, and Dale districts for at least one year, households that have children between 6 and 23 months of age, households where the mother is permanently presents, and households that speak sidamo or oromio. Exclusion criteria: residents that have lived in Arsi Negele, Wondo Genet, and Dale districts for less than one year, households that have children under 6 months or above 23 months of age, households where the mother is not present, and households that do not speak sidamo. Outcomes of this study are child feeding practices knowledge, attitudes, dietary diversity score, meal frequency score, adequacy diet score, continuing breastfeeding, maternal dietary diversity, and prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight.
Investigators
Mary Murimi
Professor of Nutrition
Texas Tech University
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Infant that live in a household that has reside in Arsi Negele, Wondo Genet, and Dale districts for at least one year
- •Infants that are within the age of 6 to 23 months at the time of the recruitment
- •Infants that live in households where the mother is permanently present
- •Infants that live in a household where the mother speaks sidamo or oromio.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Infants that live in a household that has reside in Arsi Negele, Wondo Genet, and Dale districts for less than one year
- •Infants that are under 6 months or above 23 months of age at the time of the recruitment
- •Infants that live in households where the mother is not present
- •Infants that live in households where the mother does not speak sidamo or oromio
- •Infants that have an illness that require a special nutrition treatment
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Dietary diversity score
Time Frame: Six weeks
The dietary diversity score will be measured using the population indicator of minimum dietary diversity score for children aged 6 to 23 months designed by The Who. This measurement assess the consumption of seven food groups through seven yes-no questions. The food groups that are assessed are the following: 1) grains, roots and tubers; 2) legumes and nuts; 3) dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese); 4) flesh foods (meat, fish, poultry, and organ meats); 5) eggs; 6) vitamin A rich fruit and vegetables; and 7) other fruits and vegetables. The total dietary diversity score for each participant will be the sum of the food groups that were responded with a yes answer. The maximum score possible is seven.
Meal frequency
Time Frame: Six weeks
The meal frequency of children will be measured using a question that forms part of the Infant Young and Child Feeding Practices questionnaire provided by the WHO. This question assess the number of times that a baby had meals or snacks, other than liquids, through a multiple answer questions. The participating mother has the option to select the meal frequency from one to six times. The average meal frequency will be calculated for those breastfed and non-breastfed children.
Acceptable diet score
Time Frame: Six weeks
This is an indicator that measures the proportion of children aged 6 to 23 months of age who receive the minimum feeding frequency and minimum dietary diversity. The acceptable diet score will be calculated using the proportion of children that meet the minimum dietary diversity and the minimum meal frequency divided by the total number of children. This score will be calculated for breastfed and non-breastfed children.
Secondary Outcomes
- Nutritional status(six weeks)
- Child feeding knowledge score(six weeks)
- Child feeding maternal attitude score(six weeks)
- Maternal dietary diversity score(six weeks)