Suaahara Impact Evaluation: End-line Survey

Feeding Behavior Clinical Trial

Official title:

Suaahara Impact Evaluation: End-line Survey

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05448287
• Other study ID #: 103
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: June 17, 2022
• Est. completion date: September 30, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: January 2023
• Source: University of South Carolina
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Suaahara's primary aim is to reduce the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children under 5 years of age and to reduce the prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age and children 6-59 months of age. For this, the program uses a multi-sectoral approach to achieve four key intermediate results: 1) improved household nutrition, sanitation, and health behaviors; 2) increased use of quality nutrition and health services by women and children; 3) improved access to diverse and nutrient-rich foods by women and children; and 4) accelerated roll-out of the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Plan (MSNP) through strengthened local governance

Description:

The Government of Nepal and development partners have prioritized multi-sectoral (integrated) nutrition as a key development agenda. The Suaahara program funded by the United States Agency for International Development is one of the programs that support the Government of Nepal's multi-sectoral nutrition plan. It aims to reduce maternal and child under-nutrition over a period of ten years, spanning two phases: Suaahara I (2011-2016) and Suaahara II (2016-2021). Initially launched in 20 of 75 districts, the program has scaled-up to 42 of 77 districts that span across Nepal's three agroecological zones of mountains, hills, and terai. Suaahara I was led by Save the Children International in partnership with Helen Keller International, Johns Hopkins University Center for Communications Programs, Jhpiego, Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH), the National Promotion and Consultancy Service, and the Nepali Technical Assistance Group (NTAG). Suaahara II was led by Helen Keller International in partnership with Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc., Family Health International 360), he Nepali Technical Assistance Group, Digital Broadcast Initiative Equal Access, Environmental and Public Health Organization, and Vijaya Development Resource Center. Suaahara's primary aim is to reduce the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children under 5 years of age and to reduce the prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age and children 6-59 months of age. For this, the program uses a multi-sectoral approach to achieve four key intermediate results (IRs): 1) improved household nutrition, sanitation, and health behaviors; 2) increased use of quality nutrition and health services by women and children; 3) improved access to diverse and nutrient-rich foods by women and children; and 4) accelerated roll-out of the MSNP through strengthened local governance. Suaahara interventions span health and family planning (FP), nutrition, agriculture/homestead food production (HFP), and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Diverse social and behavior change communication interventions are used, primarily to generate demand for access to improved services and to motivate households to adopt optimal health, nutrition, and WASH practices. All Suaahara interventions are supported by a crosscutting theme of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), in part by targeting women and disadvantaged groups and conducting activities that address GESI-related barriers to optimal health, nutrition, and WASH behaviors. Suaahara's conceptual framework illustrates the paths by which the program activities linked to desired outcomes achieve Suaahara II objectives.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 2480
• Est. completion date: September 30, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: September 30, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 0 Months to 60 Months

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• At the household level, the primary respondents are mothers of children under 5 years of age from the selected households.
• Other survey respondents include a primary male (or female, if male unavailable) household decision-maker, and a grandmother of children under 5 years of age residing in the household.
• The Female Community Health Volunteer and health workers are also Suaahara beneficiaries, as the program explicitly aims to improve their knowledge and skills.

Exclusion Criteria:

• None.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Feeding Behavior
• Growth Disorders
• Nutritional Stunting

Intervention

Behavioral:
• Health and family planning
Promotion of health and family planning behaviors
• Nutrition
Promotion of maternal, infant, and young child feeding behaviors and nutrition
• Agriculture and homestead food production
Promotion of knowledge and practices about homestead food production
• Water, sanitation, and hygiene
Promotion of behaviors to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Nepal	Helen Keller International	Kathmandu

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of South Carolina	Helen Keller International

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Nepal, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Child dietary diversity (Indicators for Assessing Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices)	Mean score, range 0 to 8, higher is better	Over the 24 hours of the day before data collection
Primary	Maternal dietary diversity (Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women)	Mean score, range 0 to 10, higher is better	Over the 24 hours of the day before data collection
Primary	Stunting	Prevalence of height or length for age zscore < -2	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Primary	Underweight prevalence	Prevalence of weight for age zscore < -2	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Primary	Wasting	Prevalence of weight for length for height zscore < -2	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Primary	Maternal underweight	Prevalence of body mass index < 18.5	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Primary	Maternal anemia	Prevalence < 12 g/dl	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Primary	Anemia among children aged 6-59 months	Prevalence < 11 g/dl	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Primary	Accurate health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene knowledge and skills among Female Community Health Volunteers and health workers from 52 items	Prevalence > 80% correct from 52 items	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Child minimum dietary diversity (Indicators for Assessing Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices)	Prevalence > 4 food groups of 8	Over the 24 hours of the day before data collection
Secondary	Maternal minimum dietary diversity (Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women)	Prevalence > 4 food groups of 10	Over the 24 hours of the day before data collection
Secondary	Height for age	Mean z-score	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Weight for age	Mean z-score	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Weight for height	Mean z-score	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Maternal body mass index	Mean	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Maternal hemoglobin	Mean in g/dl	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Child hemoglobin	Mean in g/dl	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Knowledge score on core infant and young child feeding practices among mothers from 15 items	Mean score, range 0 to 15, higher is better	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Knowledge score on health and water, sanitation, and hygiene practices among mothers from 37 items	Mean score, range 0 to 37, higher is better	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection
Secondary	Female Community Health Volunteers and health workers with ideal practices related to health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and health from 52 items	Prevalence > 80% correct from 52 items	Over the 24 hours of the day of data collection