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Headey D, Bachewe F, Marshall Q, Raghunathan K, Mahrt K. Food prices and the wages of the poor: A cost-effective addition to high-frequency food security monitoring. FOOD POLICY 2024; 125:102630. [PMID: 38911234 PMCID: PMC11190886 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The affordability of nutritious food for "all people, at all times" is a critically important dimension of food security. Yet surprisingly, timely high-frequency indicators of food affordability are rarely collected in any systematic fashion despite price volatility emerging as major source of food insecurity in the 21st Century. The 2008 global food crisis prompted international agencies to invest heavily in monitoring domestic food prices in low and middle income countries (LMICs). However, food price monitoring is not sufficient for measuring changes in diet affordability; for that, one must also measure changes either in income or in an income proxy. We propose using the wages of unskilled workers as a cheap and sufficiently accurate income proxy, especially for the urban and rural non-farm poor. We first outline alternative measures of "food wage" indices, defined as wages deflated either by consumer food price indices or novel healthy diet cost indices. We then discuss the conceptual strengths and limitations of food wages. Finally, we examine patterns and trends in different types of real food wage series during well-known food price crises in Ethiopia (2008, 2011 and 2022), Sri Lanka (2022) and Myanmar (2022). In all these instances, food wages declined by 20-30%, often in the space of a few months. In Myanmar, the decline in real wages during 2022 closely matches declines in household disposable income. We strongly advocate tracking the wages of the poor as a timely, accurate and cost-effective means of monitoring food affordability for important segments of the world's poor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Headey
- The International Food Policy Research Institute, United States
| | - Fantu Bachewe
- The International Food Policy Research Institute, United States
| | - Quinn Marshall
- The International Food Policy Research Institute, United States
| | | | - Kristi Mahrt
- The International Food Policy Research Institute, United States
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2
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Occelli M, Mukerjee R, Miller C, Porciello J, Puerto S, Garner E, Guerra M, Gomez MI, Tufan HA. A scoping review on tools and methods for trait prioritization in crop breeding programmes. NATURE PLANTS 2024; 10:402-411. [PMID: 38388675 PMCID: PMC10954539 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-024-01639-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Trait prioritization studies have guided research, development and investment decisions for public-sector crop breeding programmes since the 1970s, but the research design, methods and tools underpinning these studies are not well understood. We used PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) to evaluate research on trait ranking for major crops over the past 40 years (1980-2023). Data extraction and descriptive analysis on 657 papers show uneven attention to crops, lack of systematic sex disaggregation and regional bias. The lack of standardized trait data taxonomy across studies, and inconsistent research design and data collection practices make cross-comparison of findings impossible. In addition, network mapping of authors and donors shows patterns of concentration and the presence of silos within research areas. This study contributes to the next generation of innovation in trait preference studies to produce more inclusive, demand-driven varietal design that moves beyond trait prioritization focused on productivity and yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Occelli
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - R Mukerjee
- Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - C Miller
- Industrial and Labor Relations School, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - J Porciello
- Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - S Puerto
- Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - E Garner
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - M Guerra
- Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - M I Gomez
- Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - H A Tufan
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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Ali NB, Yousafzai AK, Siyal S, Bhamani S, Sudfeld CR. Effect of a Center-Based Early Childhood Care and Education Program on Child Nutritional Status: A Secondary Analysis of a Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural Sindh, Pakistan. J Nutr 2024; 154:755-764. [PMID: 38072156 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) programs can positively impact children's development. However, as an unintended consequence, ECCE attendance may also affect children's nutritional status. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the effect of a center-based ECCE intervention on child nutritional outcomes in rural Pakistan. METHODS This study utilized data from a stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial of a center-based ECCE program that trained female youth to run high-quality preschools for children aged 3.5-5.5 y (Youth Leaders for Early Childhood Assuring Children are Prepared for School (LEAPS) program) in rural Sindh, Pakistan. The program did not include any school meals. A total of 99 village clusters were randomized to receive the LEAPS intervention in 3 steps, and repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted to assess the impact on children (age: 4.5-5.5 y) at 4- time points. ITT analyses with multilevel mixed-effect models were used to estimate the effect of the intervention on child anthropometric outcomes. RESULTS The analysis included 3858 children with anthropometric data from 4 cross-sectional survey rounds. The LEAPS intervention was found to have a positive effect on child height-for-age z score (mean difference: 0.13 z-scores; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02, 0.24). However, there was a negative effect on weight-based anthropometric indicators, -0.29 weight-for-height z score (WHZ) (95% CI: -0.42, -0.15), -0.13 BMI z score (BMIZ) (95% CI: -0.23, -0.03), and -0.16 mid-upper arm circumference-for-age z score MUACZ (95% CI: -0.25, -0.05). An exploratory analysis suggested that the magnitude of the negative effect of LEAPS on WHZ, BMIZ, and weight-for-age z score (WAZ) was greater in the survey round during the COVID-19 lockdown. DISCUSSION The LEAPS intervention positively affected child linear growth but had negative effects on multiple weight-based anthropometric measures. ECCE programs in low- and middle-income country settings should evaluate the integration of nutrition-specific interventions (eg school lunch, counseling on healthy diets) and infection control strategies to promote children's healthy growth and development. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03764436, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03764436.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazia Binte Ali
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Division of Maternal and Child Health, International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh.
| | - Aisha K Yousafzai
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Saima Siyal
- Development and Research for Children in Early and Adolescent Years of Life (DREAM), Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Shelina Bhamani
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Christopher R Sudfeld
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
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Barth-Jaeggi T, Speich C, Havugimana C, Bayisenge F, Kimenju S, Omondi W, Pasha SF, Islam S, van Zutphen-Küffer KG, van den Berg S, Barjolle D, Pannatier M, Prytherch H. Nutrition transition, double burden of malnutrition, and urbanization patterns in secondary cities of Bangladesh, Kenya and Rwanda. BMC Nutr 2023; 9:125. [PMID: 37925425 PMCID: PMC10625300 DOI: 10.1186/s40795-023-00782-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND By 2050, approximately 68% of the global population will live in cities, but nutrition data on urban populations of low- and middle-income countries are scarce. Fast growing secondary cities, combining characteristics and hurdles of urban and rural settings, are hotspots for the double burden of malnutrition. The Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE) project focuses on 6 secondary cities in Bangladesh, Kenya and Rwanda, to improve health and nutrition, and reduce poverty. To assess the baseline situation and guide future interventions, food insecurity, dietary diversity, nutrition status, and food production and purchasing patterns were explored. METHODS In a cross-sectional study design, data were collected from urban and peri-urban households of Dinajpur and Rangpur in Bangladesh, Bungoma and Busia in Kenya, and Rubavu and Rusizi in Rwanda. Approximately 1200 households, in neighborhoods prone to malnutrition, were involved from April to June 2021. We assessed Household Food Insecurity Access Score (HFIAS), both current and before COVID-19, Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W), anthropometric measurements, household and socioeconomic information, and questions related to food production and consumer behavior. Further we collected secondary data on low birthweight and anemia during pregnancy. RESULTS All cities experienced a substantial increase in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stunting rates in children under 5 years varied among the cities and ranged from 7.8% in Busia to 46.6% in Rubavu, while half of adult women were overweight (between 42.1% in Rusizi and 55.8% in Bungoma). Furthermore, many women did not consume an adequately diverse diet (MDD-W < 5 for 29.3% in Bangladesh, 47.5% in Kenya, and 67.0% in Rwanda), however many of the urban and peri-urban households were engaged in farming (58-78%). CONCLUSIONS The double burden of malnutrition is high in secondary cities and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated levels of food insecurity. Demand for, and access to, an affordable healthy diverse diet that comprises local, nutritious, and agroecologically produced foods present a pathway for overcoming the complex challenges of malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Barth-Jaeggi
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland.
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Cornelia Speich
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Marnie Pannatier
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Helen Prytherch
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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5
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Headey D, Ruel M. Food inflation and child undernutrition in low and middle income countries. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5761. [PMID: 37717010 PMCID: PMC10505228 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41543-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The 21st Century has been marked by increased volatility in food prices, with global price spikes in 2007-08, 2010-11, and again in 2021-22. The impact of food inflation on the risk of child undernutrition is not well understood, however. This study explores the potential impacts of food inflation on wasting and stunting among 1.27 million pre-school children from 44 developing countries. On average, a 5 percent increase in the real price of food increases the risk of wasting by 9 percent and severe wasting by 14 percent. These risks apply to young infants, suggesting a prenatal pathway, as well as to older children who typically experience a deterioration in diet quality in the wake of food inflation. Male children and children from poor and rural landless households are more severely impacted. Food inflation during pregnancy and the first year after birth also increases the risk of stunting for children 2-5 years of age. This evidence provides a strong rationale for interventions to prevent food inflation and mitigate its impacts on vulnerable children and their mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Headey
- Senior Research Fellow, The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Colombo, Sri Lanka.
| | - Marie Ruel
- Senior Research Fellow, The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC, USA
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Headey D, Hirvonen K. Higher food prices can reduce poverty and stimulate growth in food production. NATURE FOOD 2023; 4:699-706. [PMID: 37563494 PMCID: PMC10444620 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-023-00816-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Food prices spiked sharply in 2007-2008, in 2010-2011 and again in 2021-2022. However, the impacts of these spikes on poverty remain controversial; while food is a large expense for the poor, many poor people also earn income from producing or marketing food, and higher prices should incentivize greater food production. Short-run simulation models assume away production and wage adjustments, and probably underestimate food production by the poor. Here we analyse annual data on poverty rates, real food price changes and food production growth for 33 middle-income countries from 2000 to 2019 based on World Bank poverty measures. Panel regressions show that year-on-year increases in the real price of food predict reductions in the US$3.20-per-day poverty headcount, except in more urban or non-agrarian countries. A plausible explanation is that rising food prices stimulate short-run agricultural supply responses that induce increased demand for unskilled labour and increases in wages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Headey
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Colombo, Sri Lanka.
| | - Kalle Hirvonen
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Colombo, Sri Lanka
- United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki, Finland
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7
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Arndt C, Diao X, Dorosh P, Pauw K, Thurlow J. The Ukraine war and rising commodity prices: Implications for developing countries. GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY 2023; 36:100680. [PMID: 36937378 PMCID: PMC10015268 DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2023.100680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The Russia-Ukraine war's impact on food, fuel, and fertilizer prices is a major concern for global poverty and food insecurity. Despite numerous studies and editorials on the risks and challenges of the crisis, there is little quantitative analysis of its consequences for developing countries. We use national economywide models to measure the near-term impacts of the crisis on agrifood systems, poverty, and food insecurity in 19 countries. Despite wide variations across countries, results confirm the adverse impacts of the crisis, with a total 27.2 and 22.3 million more people pushed into poverty and hunger, respectively. Agrifood systems and poverty are more vulnerable to rising fuel and fertilizer prices, whereas hunger and diet quality are more affected by higher food prices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Channing Arndt
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Xinshen Diao
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Paul Dorosh
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Karl Pauw
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C, USA
| | - James Thurlow
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington D.C, USA
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Bhavnani R, Schlager N, Donnay K, Reul M, Schenker L, Stauffer M, Patel T. Household behavior and vulnerability to acute malnutrition in Kenya. HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 10:63. [PMID: 36811115 PMCID: PMC9936478 DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-01547-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Anticipating those most at-risk of being acutely malnourished significantly shapes decisions that pertain to resource allocation and intervention in times of food crises. Yet, the assumption that household behavior in times of crisis is homogeneous-that households share the same capacity to adapt to external shocks-ostensibly prevails. This assumption fails to explain why, in a given geographical context, some households remain more vulnerable to acute malnutrition relative to others, and why a given risk factor may have a differential effect across households? In an effort to explore how variation in household behavior influences vulnerability to malnutrition, we use a unique household dataset that spans 23 Kenyan counties from 2016 to 2020 to seed, calibrate, and validate an evidence-driven computational model. We use the model to conduct a series of counterfactual experiments on the relationship between household adaptive capacity and vulnerability to acute malnutrition. Our findings suggest that households are differently impacted by given risk factors, with the most vulnerable households typically being the least adaptive. These findings further underscore the salience of household adaptive capacity, in particular, that adaption is less effective for economic vis-à-vis climate shocks. By making explicit the link between patterns of household behavior and vulnerability in the short- to medium-term, we underscore the need for famine early warning to better account for variation in household-level behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mirko Reul
- University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Maxime Stauffer
- Simon Institute for Longterm Governance, Geneva, Switzerland
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9
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Patterson AC. Is Economic Growth Good for Population Health? A Critical Review. CANADIAN STUDIES IN POPULATION 2023; 50:1. [PMID: 36938118 PMCID: PMC10009865 DOI: 10.1007/s42650-023-00072-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
A large multidisciplinary literature discusses the relationship between economic growth and population health. The idea that economic growth is good for societies has inspired extensive academic debate, but conclusions have been mixed. To help shed light on the subject, this paper focuses on opportunities for consensus in this large literature. Much scholarship finds that the health-growth relationship varies according to (1) which aspect of "health" is under consideration, (2) shape (e.g., positive linear or logarithmic), (3) issues of timing (e.g., growth over the short or long term), (4) a focus on health inequalities as opposed to population averages, and (5) multivariable relationships with additional factors. After reflecting upon these findings, I propose that economic growth promotes health in some respects, for some countries, and in conjunction with other life-supporting priorities, but does not by itself improve population health generally speaking. I then argue there is already wide, interdisciplinary consensus to support this stance. Moreover, policies focusing exclusively on economic growth threaten harm to both population health and growth, which is to say that political dynamics are also implicated. Yet multivariable approaches can help clarify the bigger picture of how growth relates to health. For moving this literature forward, the best opportunities may involve the simultaneous analysis of multiple factors. The recognition of consensus around these issues would be welcome, and timely. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42650-023-00072-y.
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Varghese JS, Gupta A, Mehta R, Stein AD, Patel SA. Changes in Child Undernutrition and Overweight in India From 2006 to 2021: An Ecological Analysis of 36 States. GLOBAL HEALTH, SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022; 10:e2100569. [PMID: 36316138 PMCID: PMC9622276 DOI: 10.9745/ghsp-d-21-00569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We evaluated changes in priority indicators of child growth from 2006 to 2021 and examined the role of human development measures in these changes. METHODS We estimated cumulative and annualized changes in state- and district-level child growth indicators using 3 rounds of National Family Health Surveys (2005-2006, 2015-2016, 2019-2021) in 36 states. Outcomes included stunting, underweight, wasting, and overweight. Human development was measured using a principal components analysis of 9 ecological indicators. We contrasted expected versus observed changes in district-level growth outcomes between 2016 and 2021 based on changes in development indicators using 2-way Blinder Oaxaca decomposition. RESULTS From 2006 to 2021, the prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting decreased by 12.3, 10.3, and 0.7 percentage points, respectively, while the prevalence of overweight increased by 1.9 percentage points. The annualized rate of within-state change for stunting was lower from 2016 to 2021 compared with the 2006 to 2016 period, while the rate of change in overweight was higher. Simultaneously, all 9 human development indicators improved between 2006 and 2021. A unit increase between 2016 and 2021 in the human development score predicted a -5.1 percentage point (95% confidence interval=-5.8, -4.4) change in stunting, yet observed stunting declined by just -2.5 percentage points. CONCLUSIONS From 2016 to 2021, population-level reduction in child stunting has slowed and the rise in child overweight has accelerated, relative to the 10 years preceding this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jithin Sam Varghese
- Nutrition and Health Sciences Program, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aashish Gupta
- Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rukshan Mehta
- The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, Canada
| | - Aryeh D Stein
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Shivani A Patel
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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11
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Jackson A, Ashworth A, Annan RA. The International Malnutrition Task Force: A model for the future? Trends Food Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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12
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Dewey KG, Arnold CD, Wessells KR, Prado EL, Abbeddou S, Adu-Afarwuah S, Ali H, Arnold BF, Ashorn P, Ashorn U, Ashraf S, Becquey E, Brown KH, Christian P, Colford JM, Dulience SJL, Fernald LCH, Galasso E, Hallamaa L, Hess SY, Humphrey JH, Huybregts L, Iannottie LL, Jannat K, Lartey A, Port AL, Leroy JL, Luby SP, Maleta K, Matias SL, Mbuya MNN, Mridha MK, Nkhoma M, Null C, Paul RR, Okronipa H, Ouédraogo JB, Pickering AJ, Prendergast AJ, Ruel M, Shaikh S, Weber AM, Wolff P, Zongrone A, Stewart CP. Preventive small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements reduce severe wasting and severe stunting among young children: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2022; 116:1314-1333. [PMID: 36045000 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Meta-analyses show that small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) reduce child wasting and stunting. There is little information regarding effects on severe wasting or stunting. OBJECTIVE We aimed to identify the effect of SQ-LNS on prevalence of severe wasting (weight-for-length z-score < -3) and severe stunting (length-for-age z-score < -3). METHODS We conducted a two-stage meta-analysis of individual participant data from 14 randomized controlled trials of SQ-LNS provided to children 6 to 24 mo of age. We generated study-specific and subgroup estimates of SQ-LNS vs. control and pooled the estimates using fixed-effects models. We used random effects meta-regression to examine study-level effect modifiers. In sensitivity analyses, we examined whether results differed depending on study arm inclusion criteria and types of comparisons. RESULTS SQ-LNS provision led to a relative reduction of 31% in severe wasting (Prevalence Ratio, PR 0.69 (0.55, 0.86), n=34,373) and 17% in severe stunting (PR 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.90), n=36,795) at endline. Results were similar in most of the sensitivity analyses but somewhat attenuated when comparisons using passive control arms were excluded: PR 0.74 (0.57, 0.96), n=26,327 for severe wasting and PR 0.88 (0.81, 0.95), n=28,742 for severe stunting. Study-level characteristics generally did not significantly modify the effects of SQ-LNS, but results suggested greater effects of SQ-LNS in sites with greater burdens of wasting or stunting, or with poorer water quality or sanitation. CONCLUSIONS Including SQ-LNS in preventive interventions to promote healthy child growth and development is likely to reduce rates of severe wasting and stunting. Registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019146592.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn G Dewey
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Charles D Arnold
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - K Ryan Wessells
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Prado
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Souheila Abbeddou
- Public Health Nutrition, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Ghent, Ghent, 9000Belgium
| | - Seth Adu-Afarwuah
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Hasmot Ali
- The JiVitA Project of Johns Hopkins University, Bangladesh, Paschimpara, Gaibandha-5700, Bangladesh
| | - Benjamin F Arnold
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Per Ashorn
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Paediatrics, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ulla Ashorn
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sania Ashraf
- Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Elodie Becquey
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, 1201 I Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005, USA
| | - Kenneth H Brown
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA.,Helen Keller International, New York, NY, USA
| | - Parul Christian
- Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - John M Colford
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Lia C H Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Lotta Hallamaa
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, 1201 I Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005, USA
| | - Sonja Y Hess
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jean H Humphrey
- Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Lieven Huybregts
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, 1201 I Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005, USA
| | | | - Kaniz Jannat
- School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia
| | - Anna Lartey
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Agnes Le Port
- Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (MoISA), French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Montpellier, France
| | - Jef L Leroy
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, 1201 I Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005, USA
| | - Stephen P Luby
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Kenneth Maleta
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Susana L Matias
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mduduzi N N Mbuya
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe.,Center for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, Bangladesh.,Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Malay K Mridha
- Center for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, Bangladesh
| | - Minyanga Nkhoma
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Global and Public Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Rina R Paul
- Center for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, Bangladesh
| | - Harriet Okronipa
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Jean-Bosco Ouédraogo
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Amy J Pickering
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Andrew J Prendergast
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe.,Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Marie Ruel
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, 1201 I Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005, USA
| | - Saijuddin Shaikh
- The JiVitA Project of Johns Hopkins University, Bangladesh, Paschimpara, Gaibandha-5700, Bangladesh
| | - Ann M Weber
- School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of Nevada, Reno, USA
| | | | | | - Christine P Stewart
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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