Impact of Life-size Growth Charts on Understanding of Stunting

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Stunting
• Interventions: Behavioral: Exposure to Growth Mats

• Registration Number: NCT04579328
• Lead Sponsor: Tufts University

Brief Summary

Randomized control trial testing whether exposure to a wall hanging (growth mat) enabling parents to physically compare their children's height against the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for height-for-age in combination with normal messaging on stunting increases parents' understanding and retention of those messages. Both intervention and control groups will receive messages about stunting over a 3-month period, but the intervention group will also be exposed to the growth mats during the 3-month intervention period. Parents in both groups will be tested post intervention on the messages about stunting and scores will be compared.

Detailed Description

This study is embedded within a development program implemented by a consortium led by Catholic Relief Services. The program aims to improve child nutrition, in part, through behavior change messaging. Parents have difficulty understanding that stunting is a problem because the high prevalence (57%) means the entire population curve has shifted to the left - a stunted child appears normal when compared to others in the community.

Through previous work, we have designed a wall-hanging like a life-size, color coded growth chart. Using 2 stage sampling, with parents clustered in neighbor groups, neighbor groups have been randomly assigned to intervention or control. Both groups will receive standard lessons on stunting while only the intervention group will have the growth mats incorporated into the lessons. After 3 months of exposure to the lessons, parents will be tested on their understanding of the key lesson points. Scores between groups will be tested for statistical differences. Qualitative focus groups throughout the intervention period will collect information on perception of the message delivery and the utility of the growth mats.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2020-10-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-10-01
• Study First Posted: 2020-10-08
• Study Start: 2020-10-15
• Primary Completion: 2021-03-10
• Status Verified: 2021-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-05-04
• Last Update Posted: 2021-05-06
• Study Completion: 2021-07

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 1019

Inclusion Criteria

• membership and regular participation in the selected neighbor groups

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Exclusion Criteria

• extended absence from the village during the intervention period

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Lessons with Growth Mats	Exposure to Growth Mats	Participants, clustered by neighbor groups, will be given lessons on stunting. During the lessons the trainers will use the growth mats to demonstrate their points. In these villages, village-wide events will expose the full community to the messages in combination to the mats.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Understanding of key messages on stunting	after 3 months of exposure to the lessons	there are multiple key points in the lessons on stunting accompanying the mats. Interviews will test the level of understanding for each key message, combining them into a composite score. Both individual and composite scores will be compared.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Willingness to change behavior	after 3 months of exposure to the lessons	Interviews will measure self-reported willingness to practice the recommended behaviors to reduce stunting

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Tufts University; 🇺🇸 Boston, Massachusetts, United States