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Adams KP, Vosti SA, Arnold CD, Engle-Stone R, Prado EL, Stewart CP, Wessells KR, Dewey KG. The cost-effectiveness of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for prevention of child death and malnutrition and promotion of healthy development: modelling results for Uganda. Public Health Nutr 2023; 26:2083-2095. [PMID: 37606091 PMCID: PMC10564609 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980023001805] [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: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent meta-analyses demonstrate that small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) for young children significantly reduce child mortality, stunting, wasting, anaemia and adverse developmental outcomes. Cost considerations should inform policy decisions. We developed a modelling framework to estimate the cost and cost-effectiveness of SQ-LNS and applied the framework in the context of rural Uganda. DESIGN We adapted costs from a costing study of micronutrient powder (MNP) in Uganda, and based effectiveness estimates on recent meta-analyses and Uganda-specific estimates of baseline mortality and the prevalence of stunting, wasting, anaemia and developmental disability. SETTING Rural Uganda. PARTICIPANTS Not applicable. RESULTS Providing SQ-LNS daily to all children in rural Uganda (> 1 million) for 12 months (from 6 to 18 months of age) via the existing Village Health Team system would cost ∼$52 per child (2020 US dollars) or ∼$58·7 million annually. SQ-LNS could avert an average of > 242 000 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) annually as a result of preventing 3689 deaths, > 160 000 cases of moderate or severe anaemia and ∼6000 cases of developmental disability. The estimated cost per DALY averted is $242. CONCLUSIONS In this context, SQ-LNS may be more cost-effective than other options such as MNP or the provision of complementary food, although the total cost for a programme including all age-eligible children would be high. Strategies to reduce costs, such as targeting to the most vulnerable populations and the elimination of taxes on SQ-LNS, may enhance financial feasibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine P Adams
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA95616, USA
| | - Stephen A Vosti
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Charles D Arnold
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA95616, USA
| | - Reina Engle-Stone
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA95616, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Prado
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA95616, USA
| | - Christine P Stewart
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA95616, USA
| | - K Ryan Wessells
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA95616, USA
| | - Kathryn G Dewey
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA95616, USA
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Watson D, Mushamiri P, Beeri P, Rouamba T, Jenner S, Proebstl S, Kehoe SH, Ward KA, Barker M, Lawrence W. Behaviour change interventions improve maternal and child nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0000401. [PMID: 36996036 PMCID: PMC10062616 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0000401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Evidence that nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions can improve maternal and child nutrition status in sub-Saharan Africa is inconclusive. Using behaviour change theory and techniques in intervention design may increase effectiveness and make outcomes more predictable. This systematic review aimed to determine whether interventions that included behaviour change functions were effective. Six databases were searched systematically, using MeSH and free-text terms, for articles describing nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive behaviour change interventions published in English until January 2022. Titles, abstracts and full-text papers were double-screened. Data extraction and quality assessments followed Centre for Reviews and Dissemination guidelines. Behaviour change functions of interventions were mapped onto the COM-B model and Behaviour Change Wheel. PROSPERO registered (135054). The search yielded 1193 articles: 79 articles met inclusion criteria, ranging from low (n = 30) to high (n = 11) risk of bias. Many that applied behaviour change theory, communication or counselling resulted in significant improvements in infant stunting and wasting, household dietary intake and maternal psychosocial measures. Interventions with >2 behaviour change functions (including persuasion, incentivisation, environmental restructuring) were the most effective. We recommend incorporating behaviour change functions in nutrition interventions to improve maternal and child outcomes, specifically drawing on the Behaviour Change Wheel, COM-B model (SORT B recommendation). To enhance the designs of these interventions, and ultimately improve the nutritional and psychosocial outcomes for mothers and infants in sub-Saharan Africa, collaborations are recommended between behaviour change and nutrition experts, intervention designers, policy makers and commissioners to fund and roll-out multicomponent behaviour change interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Watson
- Global Health Research Institute, Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- SAMRC Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Patience Mushamiri
- SAMRC Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science, PRICELESS, University of the Witwatersrand, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Paula Beeri
- Navrongo Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
| | - Toussaint Rouamba
- Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro, Institute for Research in Health Sciences, National Center for Scientific and Technological Research, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Sarah Jenner
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Proebstl
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, and Epidemiology-IBE, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Sarah H Kehoe
- Global Health Research Institute, Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Kate A Ward
- Global Health Research Institute, Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mary Barker
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Lawrence
- Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Fortified balanced energy-protein supplementation during pregnancy and lactation and infant growth in rural Burkina Faso: A 2 × 2 factorial individually randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med 2023; 20:e1004186. [PMID: 36745684 PMCID: PMC9943012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optimal nutrition is crucial during the critical period of the first 1,000 days from conception to 2 years after birth. Prenatal and postnatal supplementation of mothers with multimicronutrient-fortified balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplements is a potential nutritional intervention. However, evidence on the long-term effects of BEP supplementation on child growth is inconsistent. We evaluated the efficacy of daily fortified BEP supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on infant growth in rural Burkina Faso. METHODS AND FINDINGS A 2 × 2 factorial individually randomized controlled trial (MISAME-III) was implemented in 6 health center catchment areas in Houndé district under the Hauts-Bassins region. From October 2019 to December 2020, 1,897 pregnant women aged 15 to 40 years with gestational age <21 completed weeks were enrolled. Women were randomly assigned to the prenatal intervention arms receiving either fortified BEP supplements and iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets (i.e., intervention) or IFA alone (i.e., control), which is the standard of care during pregnancy. The same women were concurrently randomized to receive either of the postnatal intervention, which comprised fortified BEP supplementation during the first 6 months postpartum in combination with IFA for the first 6 weeks (i.e., intervention), or the postnatal control, which comprised IFA alone for 6 weeks postpartum (i.e., control). Supplements were provided by trained village-based project workers under direct observation during daily home visits. We previously reported the effect of prenatal BEP supplementation on birth outcomes. The primary postnatal study outcome was length-for-age z-score (LAZ) at 6 months of age. Secondary outcomes were anthropometric indices of growth (weight-for length and weight-for-age z-scores, and arm and head circumferences) and nutritional status (prevalence rates of stunting, wasting, underweight, anemia, and hemoglobin concentration) at 6 months. Additionally, the longitudinal prevalence of common childhood morbidities, incidence of wasting, number of months of exclusive breastfeeding, and trajectories of anthropometric indices from birth to 12 months were evaluated. Prenatal BEP supplementation resulted in a significantly higher LAZ (0.11 standard deviation (SD), 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.01 to 0.21], p = 0.032) and lower stunting prevalence (-3.18 percentage points (pp), 95% CI [-5.86 to -0.51], p = 0.020) at 6 months of age, whereas the postnatal BEP supplementation did not have statistically significant effects on LAZ or stunting at 6 months. On the other hand, postnatal BEP supplementation did modestly improve the rate of monthly LAZ increment during the first 12 months postpartum (0.01 z-score/month, 95% CI [0.00 to 0.02], p = 0.030), whereas no differences in growth trajectories were detected between the prenatal study arms. Furthermore, except for the trend towards a lower prevalence of underweight found for the prenatal BEP intervention at 6 months (-2.74 pp, 95% CI [-5.65 to 1.17], p = 0.065), no other secondary outcome was significantly affected by the pre- or postnatal BEP supplementation. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that the benefits obtained from prenatal BEP supplementation on size at birth are sustained during infancy in terms of linear growth. Maternal BEP supplementation during lactation may lead to a slightly better linear growth towards the second half of infancy. These findings suggest that BEP supplementation during pregnancy can contribute to the efforts to reduce the high burden of child growth faltering in low- and middle-income countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03533712.
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Tong H, Piwoz E, Ruel MT, Brown KH, Black RE, Walker N. Maternal and child nutrition in the Lives Saved Tool: Results of a recent update. J Glob Health 2022; 12:08005. [PMID: 36583418 PMCID: PMC9801341 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.12.08005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Lives Saved Tool (LiST) is a mathematical modelling tool for estimating the survival, health, and nutritional impacts of scaling intervention coverage in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Various nutrition interventions are included in LiST and are regularly (and independently) reviewed and updated as new data emerge. This manuscript describes our latest in-depth review of nutrition evidence, focusing on intervention efficacy, appropriate population-affected fractions, and new interventions for potential inclusion in the LiST model. Methods An external advisory group (EAG) was assembled to review evidence from systematic reviews on intervention-outcome (I-O) pairs for women and children under five years of age. GRADE quality was assigned to each pair based on a LiST-specific checklist to facilitate consistent decisions during the consideration. For existing interventions with new information, the EAG was asked to recommend whether to update the default efficacy values and population-affected fractions. For the new interventions, the EAG decided whether there was sufficient evidence of benefit, and in affirmative cases, information on the efficacy and affected fraction values that could be used. Decisions were based on expert group consensus. Results Overall, the group reviewed 53 nutrition-related I-O pairs, including 25 existing and 28 new ones. Efficacy and population-affected fractions were updated for seven I-O pairs; three pairs were updated for efficacy estimates only, three were updated for population-affected fractions only; and nine new I-O pairs were added to the model, bringing the total of nutrition-related I-O pairs to 34. Included in the new I-O pairs were two new nutrition interventions added to LIST: zinc fortification and neonatal vitamin A supplementation. Conclusions For modelling tools like LiST to be useful, it is crucial to update interventions, efficacy and population-affected fractions as new evidence becomes available. The present updates will enable LiST users to better estimate the potential health, nutrition, and survival benefits of investing in nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Tong
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ellen Piwoz
- Independent Consultant, Annapolis, Maryland, USA
| | - Marie T Ruel
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kenneth H Brown
- Department of Nutrition and Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Robert E Black
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Neff Walker
- Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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5
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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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Adu-Afarwuah S, Arnold CD, Lartey A, Okronipa H, Maleta K, Ashorn P, Ashorn U, Fan YM, Matchado A, Kortekangas E, Oaks BM, Jackson KH, Dewey KG. Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements Increase Infants' Plasma Essential Fatty Acid Levels in Ghana and Malawi: A Secondary Outcome Analysis of the iLiNS-DYAD Randomized Trials. J Nutr 2022; 152:286-301. [PMID: 34543432 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Small-quantity (SQ) lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) may influence infants' plasma fatty acid (FA) profiles, which could be associated with short- and long-term outcomes. OBJECTIVES We aimed to determine the impact of SQ-LNS consumption on infants' plasma FA profiles in Ghana and Malawi. METHODS Ghanaian (n = 1320) and Malawian (n = 1391) women ≤20 weeks pregnant were assigned to consume 60 mg iron and 400 μg folic acid daily until delivery [iron and folic acid (IFA) group], multiple-micronutrient supplements (MMNs) until 6 months postpartum (MMN group), or SQ-LNSs (∼7.8 linoleic acid:α-linolenic acid ratio) until 6 months postpartum (LNS group). LNS group infants received SQ-LNS from 6 to 18 months of age. We compared infant plasma FAs by intervention group in subsamples (n = 379 in Ghana; n = 442 in Malawi) at 6 and 18 months using ANOVA and Poisson regression models. Main outcomes were mean percentage compositions (%Cs; percentage of FAs by weight) of α-linolenic acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), EPA, DHA, and arachidonic acid (AA). RESULTS At 6 months, LNS infants had greater mean ± SD ALA %Cs in Ghana (0.23 ± 0.08; IFA, 0.21 ± 0.06; MMN, 0.21 ± 0.07; P = 0.034) and Malawi (0.42 ± 0.16; IFA, 0.38 ± 0.15; MMN, 0.38 ± 0.14; P = 0.034) and greater AA values in Ghana (6.25 ± 1.24; IFA, 6.12 ± 1.13; MMN, 5.89 ± 1.24; P = 0.049). At 18 months, LNS infants had a tendency towards greater ALA (0.32 ± 0.16; IFA, 0.24 ± 0.08; MMN, 0.24 ± 0.10; P = 0.06) and LA (27.8 ± 3.6; IFA, 26.9 ± 2.9; MMN, 27.0 ± 3.1; P = 0.06) in Ghana, and greater ALA (0.45 ± 0.18; IFA, 0.39 ± 0.18; MMN, 0.39 ± 0.18; P < 0.001) and LA (29.7 ± 3.5; IFA, 28.7 ± 3.3; MMN, 28.6 ± 3.4; P = 0.011) in Malawi. The prevalence of ALA below the population-specific 10th percentile was lower in the LNS group compared to the MMN group, but not the IFA group. Groups did not differ significantly in plasma EPA or DHA levels. CONCLUSIONS SQ-LNS increased infants' plasma essential FA levels in Ghana and Malawi, which may have implications for health and developmental outcomes. These trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00970866 and NCT01239693.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth Adu-Afarwuah
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Charles D Arnold
- Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Anna Lartey
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Harriet Okronipa
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.,Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth Maleta
- University of Malawi College of Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Department of Public Health, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Per Ashorn
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Pediatrics, 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
| | - Yue-Mei Fan
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Andrew Matchado
- University of Malawi College of Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Department of Public Health, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Emma Kortekangas
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Brietta M Oaks
- Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Kathryn G Dewey
- Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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7
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Dewey KG, Wessells KR, Arnold CD, Prado EL, Abbeddou S, Adu-Afarwuah S, Ali H, Arnold BF, Ashorn P, Ashorn U, Ashraf S, Becquey E, Bendabenda J, Brown KH, Christian P, Colford JM, Dulience SJL, Fernald LCH, Galasso E, Hallamaa L, Hess SY, Humphrey JH, Huybregts L, Iannotti LL, Jannat K, Lartey A, Le Port A, 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. Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child growth: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2021; 114:15S-42S. [PMID: 34590672 PMCID: PMC8560308 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Meta-analyses show that small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) reduce child stunting and wasting. Identification of subgroups who benefit most from SQ-LNSs may facilitate program design. OBJECTIVES We aimed to identify study-level and individual-level modifiers of the effect of SQ-LNSs on child growth outcomes. METHODS We conducted a 2-stage meta-analysis of individual participant data from 14 randomized controlled trials of SQ-LNSs provided to children 6-24 mo of age (n = 37,066). We generated study-specific and subgroup estimates of SQ-LNS compared with 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 decreased stunting (length-for-age z score < -2) by 12% (relative reduction), wasting [weight-for-length (WLZ) z score < -2] by 14%, low midupper arm circumference (MUAC) (<125 mm or MUAC-for-age z score < -2) by 18%, acute malnutrition (WLZ < -2 or MUAC < 125 mm) by 14%, underweight (weight-for-age z score < -2) by 13%, and small head size (head circumference-for-age z score < -2) by 9%. Effects of SQ-LNSs generally did not differ by study-level characteristics including region, stunting burden, malaria prevalence, sanitation, water quality, duration of supplementation, frequency of contact, or average compliance with SQ-LNS. Effects of SQ-LNSs on stunting, wasting, low MUAC, and small head size were greater among girls than among boys; effects on stunting, underweight, and low MUAC were greater among later-born (than among firstborn) children; and effects on wasting and acute malnutrition were greater among children in households with improved (as opposed to unimproved) sanitation. CONCLUSIONS The positive impact of SQ-LNSs on growth is apparent across a variety of study-level contexts. Policy-makers and program planners should consider including SQ-LNSs in packages of interventions to prevent both stunting and wasting.This trial was 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
| | - K Ryan Wessells
- 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
| | - 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, Belgium
| | - 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, Bangladesh
| | - Benjamin F Arnold
- Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Per Ashorn
- Center for Child 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 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, USA
| | - Elodie Becquey
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jaden Bendabenda
- Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - 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
- Program in 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 Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Sonja Y Hess
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jean H Humphrey
- Program in 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, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lora L Iannotti
- Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kaniz Jannat
- School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anna Lartey
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Jef L Leroy
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Stephen P Luby
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth Maleta
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, 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
- 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, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Minyanga Nkhoma
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Rina R Paul
- Center for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Harriet Okronipa
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Andrew J Prendergast
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
- Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Ruel
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Saijuddin Shaikh
- The JiVitA Project of Johns Hopkins University, Bangladesh, Paschimpara, Bangladesh
| | - Ann M Weber
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | | | | | - Christine P Stewart
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Ickes SB, Craig C, Heidkamp R. Design Factors for Food Supplementation and Nutrition Education Interventions That Limit Conclusions about Effectiveness for Wasting Prevention: A Scoping Review of Peer-Reviewed Literature. Adv Nutr 2021; 13:328-341. [PMID: 34666351 PMCID: PMC8803494 DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmab107] [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: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We conducted a scoping review to characterize the evidence base for the effectiveness of food supplementation (FS), nutrition education (NE), or FS/NE interventions to prevent wasting among children aged 6 to 59 mo. We aimed to identify gaps in peer-reviewed literature and to develop recommendations for strengthening study designs. We identified 56 unique studies (FS = 21, NE = 19, FS/NE = 16) for which we assessed intervention design factors, implementation context, evaluation methods, and wasting impact. Compared with studies focused on stunting, fewer wasting-focused studies reported weight-for-height z score (WHZ). Midupper arm circumference (MUAC) was more commonly reported in wasting-focused studies (71.4%) than those focused on stunting (36.8%) or wasting and stunting (30.4%). FS studies measured anthropometry (mean, 95% CI) more frequently at every 11.3 (7.8, 14.8) wk than NE interventions at 36.3 (8.8, 62.1) wk (P = 0.036), but not FS/NE interventions at 25.8 (5.6, 49.1) wk (P = 0.138). NE interventions tended to be of longer duration than FS or FS/NE interventions. Only 6 studies followed and measured children after the intervention period ended. Across all studies, 45% reported a significant effect on wasting; these included FS, NE, and FS/NE interventions. The lack of comparability across studies limits conclusions about the effectiveness of specific types of interventions. To build a more unified evidence base for wasting prevention we recommend that future studies 1) report on a consistent set of metrics, including MUAC; 2) attempt to measure change in wasting incidence using more frequent measures; 3) measure wasting prevalence among the general population; 4) follow children postintervention to assess relapse; 5) measure food insecurity and diet quality; and 6) use harmonized protocols across multiple settings. Such efforts to improve study comparability will strengthen the evidence base, may help unite divergent professional communities, and ultimately accelerate progress toward eliminating child undernutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rebecca Heidkamp
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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9
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Dewey KG, Stewart CP, Wessells KR, Prado EL, Arnold CD. Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements for the prevention of child malnutrition and promotion of healthy development: overview of individual participant data meta-analysis and programmatic implications. Am J Clin Nutr 2021; 114:3S-14S. [PMID: 34590696 PMCID: PMC8560310 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) were designed to provide multiple micronutrients within a food base that also provides energy, protein, and essential fatty acids, targeted towards preventing malnutrition in vulnerable populations. Previous meta-analyses demonstrated beneficial effects of SQ-LNSs on child growth, anemia, and mortality. To further examine the efficacy and effectiveness of SQ-LNSs, and explore study-level and individual-level effect modifiers, we conducted an individual participant data meta-analysis of 14 randomized controlled trials of SQ-LNSs provided to children 6-24 mo of age (n > 37,000). We examined growth, development, anemia, and micronutrient status outcomes. Children who received SQ-LNSs had a 12-14% lower prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight; were 16-19% less likely to score in the lowest decile for language, social-emotional, and motor development; had a 16% lower prevalence of anemia; and had a 64% lower prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia compared with control group children. For most outcomes, beneficial effects of SQ-LNSs were evident regardless of study-level characteristics, including region, stunting burden, malaria prevalence, sanitation, water quality, duration of supplementation, frequency of contact, or average reported compliance with SQ-LNSs. For development, the benefits of SQ-LNSs were greater in populations with higher stunting burden, in households with lower socioeconomic status, and among acutely malnourished children. For hemoglobin and iron status, benefits were greater in populations with higher anemia prevalence and among acutely malnourished children, respectively. Thus, targeting based on potential to benefit may be worthwhile for those outcomes. Overall, co-packaging SQ-LNSs with interventions that reduce constraints on response, such as the prevention and control of prenatal and child infections, improving health care access, and promotion of early child development, may lead to greater impact. Policymakers and program planners should consider including SQ-LNSs in strategies to reduce child mortality, stunting, wasting, anemia, iron deficiency, and delayed development. This study was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019146592, CRD42020159971, and CRD42020156663.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christine P Stewart
- 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
| | - Charles D Arnold
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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10
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Wessells KR, Arnold CD, Stewart CP, Prado EL, Abbeddou S, Adu-Afarwuah S, Arnold BF, Ashorn P, Ashorn U, Becquey E, Brown KH, Byrd KA, Campbell RK, Christian P, Fernald L, Fan YM, Galasso E, Hess SY, Huybregts L, Jorgensen JM, Kiprotich M, Kortekangas E, Lartey A, Le Port A, Leroy JL, Lin A, Maleta K, Matias SL, Mbuya M, Mridha MK, Mutasa K, Naser AM, Paul RR, Okronipa H, Ouédraogo JB, Pickering AJ, Rahman M, Schulze K, Smith LE, Weber AM, Zongrone A, Dewey KG. Characteristics that modify the effect of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation on child anemia and micronutrient status: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2021; 114:68S-94S. [PMID: 34590114 PMCID: PMC8560313 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) have been shown to reduce the prevalence of child anemia and iron deficiency, but effects on other micronutrients are less well known. Identifying subgroups who benefit most from SQ-LNSs could support improved program design. OBJECTIVES We aimed to identify study-level and individual-level modifiers of the effect of SQ-LNSs on child hemoglobin (Hb), anemia, and inflammation-adjusted micronutrient status outcomes. METHODS We conducted a 2-stage meta-analysis of individual participant data from 13 randomized controlled trials of SQ-LNSs provided to children 6-24 mo of age (n = 15,946). We generated study-specific and subgroup estimates of SQ-LNSs compared with control, and pooled the estimates using fixed-effects models. We used random-effects meta-regression to examine potential study-level effect modifiers. RESULTS SQ-LNS provision decreased the prevalence of anemia (Hb < 110 g/L) by 16% (relative reduction), iron deficiency (plasma ferritin < 12 µg/L) by 56%, and iron deficiency anemia (IDA; Hb < 110 g/L and plasma ferritin <12 µg/L) by 64%. We observed positive effects of SQ-LNSs on hematological and iron status outcomes within all subgroups of the study- and individual-level effect modifiers, but effects were larger in certain subgroups. For example, effects of SQ-LNSs on anemia and iron status were greater in trials that provided SQ-LNSs for >12 mo and provided 9 (as opposed to <9) mg Fe/d, and among later-born (than among first-born) children. There was no effect of SQ-LNSs on plasma zinc or retinol, but there was a 7% increase in plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP) and a 56% reduction in vitamin A deficiency (RBP < 0.70 µmol/L), with little evidence of effect modification by individual-level characteristics. CONCLUSIONS SQ-LNSs can substantially reduce the prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency, and IDA among children across a range of individual, population, and study design characteristics. Policy-makers and program planners should consider SQ-LNSs within intervention packages to prevent anemia and iron deficiency.This trial was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42020156663.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Charles D Arnold
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Christine P Stewart
- 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, Belgium
| | - Seth Adu-Afarwuah
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Benjamin F Arnold
- Francis I Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Per Ashorn
- Center for Child 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 Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Elodie Becquey
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, 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
| | | | - Rebecca K Campbell
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Parul Christian
- Program in Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lia C H Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yue-Mei Fan
- Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Sonja Y Hess
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Lieven Huybregts
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Josh M Jorgensen
- Nutrition Program, College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | | | - Emma Kortekangas
- Center for Child Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Anna Lartey
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Jef L Leroy
- Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Audrie Lin
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth Maleta
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, 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,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, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kuda Mutasa
- Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Abu M Naser
- International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh,Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rina R Paul
- Center for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Harriet Okronipa
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Mahbubur Rahman
- International Center for Diarrheal Diseases Research (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kerry Schulze
- Program in Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Laura E Smith
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Ann M Weber
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | | | - Kathryn G Dewey
- Institute for Global Nutrition and Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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11
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Heidkamp RA, Piwoz E, Gillespie S, Keats EC, D'Alimonte MR, Menon P, Das JK, Flory A, Clift JW, Ruel MT, Vosti S, Akuoku JK, Bhutta ZA. Mobilising evidence, data, and resources to achieve global maternal and child undernutrition targets and the Sustainable Development Goals: an agenda for action. Lancet 2021; 397:1400-1418. [PMID: 33691095 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00568-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
As the world counts down to the 2025 World Health Assembly nutrition targets and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, millions of women, children, and adolescents worldwide remain undernourished (underweight, stunted, and deficient in micronutrients), despite evidence on effective interventions and increasing political commitment to, and financial investment in, nutrition. The COVID-19 pandemic has crippled health systems, exacerbated household food insecurity, and reversed economic growth, which together could set back improvements in undernutrition across low-income and middle-income countries. This paper highlights how the evidence base for nutrition, health, food systems, social protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene interventions has evolved since the 2013 Lancet Series on maternal and child nutrition and identifies the priority actions needed to regain and accelerate progress within the next decade. Policies and interventions targeting the first 1000 days of life, including some newly identified since 2013, require renewed commitment, implementation research, and increased funding from both domestic and global actors. A new body of evidence from national and state-level success stories in stunting reduction reinforces the crucial importance of multisectoral actions to address the underlying determinants of undernutrition and identifies key features of enabling political environments. To support these actions, well-resourced nutrition data and information systems are essential. The paper concludes with a call to action for the 2021 Nutrition for Growth Summit to unite global and national nutrition stakeholders around common priorities to tackle a large, unfinished undernutrition agenda-now amplified by the COVID-19 crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ellen Piwoz
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stuart Gillespie
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Emily C Keats
- Centre for Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Purnima Menon
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Delhi, India
| | - Jai K Das
- Division of Women and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Marie T Ruel
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Stephen Vosti
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Centre for Global Child Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health and Institute for Global Health and Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
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12
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Vanslambrouck K, de Kok B, Toe LC, De Cock N, Ouedraogo M, Dailey-Chwalibóg T, Hanley-Cook G, Ganaba R, Lachat C, Huybregts L, Kolsteren P. Effect of balanced energy-protein supplementation during pregnancy and lactation on birth outcomes and infant growth in rural Burkina Faso: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e038393. [PMID: 33762226 PMCID: PMC7993280 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adequate nutrition during pregnancy is crucial to both mother and child. Maternal malnutrition can be the cause of stillbirth or lead to poor birth outcomes such as preterm delivery and small-for-gestational-age newborns. There is a probable positive effect of providing pregnant women a balanced energy-protein (BEP) food supplement, but more evidence is needed. The MIcronutriments pour la SAnté de la Mère et de l'Enfant (MISAME) III project aims to improve birth outcomes and infant growth by testing a BEP supplement during pregnancy and lactation in rural Burkina Faso. This paper describes the study protocol. METHODS AND ANALYSIS MISAME-III is a four-arm individually randomised efficacy trial implemented in six rural health centre catchments areas in the district of Houndé. Eligible pregnant women, aged between 15 and 40 years old and living in the study areas, will be enrolled. Women will be randomly assigned to one of the four study groups: (1) prenatal intervention only, (2) postnatal intervention only, (3) prenatal and postnatal intervention or (4) no prenatal or postnatal intervention. The intervention group will receive the BEP supplement and iron/folic acid (IFA) tablets, while the control group will only receive the IFA tablets following the national health protocol. Consumption will be supervised by trained village women on a daily basis by means of home visits. The primary outcomes are small-for-gestational age at birth and length-for-age z-score at 6 months of age. Secondary outcomes will be measured at birth and during the first 6 months of the infants' life. Women will be enrolled from October 2019 until the total sample size is reached. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION MISAME-III has been reviewed and approved by the University Hospital of Ghent and the ethics committee of Centre Muraz, Burkina Faso. Informed consent will be obtained. Results will be published in relevant journals and shared with other researchers and public health institutions. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03533712.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrien Vanslambrouck
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Brenda de Kok
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Laeticia Celine Toe
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso
| | - Nathalie De Cock
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | | | - Trenton Dailey-Chwalibóg
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Giles Hanley-Cook
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | | | - Carl Lachat
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Lieven Huybregts
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Patrick Kolsteren
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
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13
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Barba FM, Huybregts L, Leroy JL. Incidence Correction Factors for Moderate and Severe Acute Child Malnutrition From 2 Longitudinal Cohorts in Mali and Burkina Faso. Am J Epidemiol 2020; 189:1623-1627. [PMID: 32666072 PMCID: PMC7705604 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwaa139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Child acute malnutrition (AM) is an important cause of child mortality. Accurately estimating its burden requires cumulative incidence data from longitudinal studies, which are rarely available in low-income settings. In the absence of such data, the AM burden is approximated using prevalence estimates from cross-sectional surveys and the incidence correction factor $K$, obtained from the few available cohorts that measured AM. We estimated $K$ factors for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) from AM incidence and prevalence using representative cross-sectional baseline and longitudinal data from 2 cluster-randomized controlled trials (Innovative Approaches for the Prevention of Childhood Malnutrition-PROMIS) conducted between 2014 and 2017 in Burkina Faso and Mali. We compared K estimates using complete (weight-for-length z score, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and edema) and partial (MUAC, edema) definitions of SAM and MAM. $K$ estimates for SAM were 9.4 and 5.7 in Burkina Faso and in Mali, respectively; K estimates for MAM were 4.7 in Burkina Faso and 5.1 in Mali. The MUAC and edema-based definition of AM did not lead to different $K$ estimates. Our results suggest that $K$ can be reliably estimated when only MUAC and edema-based data are available. Additional studies, however, are required to confirm this finding in different settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lieven Huybregts
- Correspondence to Dr. Lieven Huybregts, Poverty, Health, and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, 1201 I Street NW, Washington, DC (e-mail: )
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Leroy JL, Olney DK, Nduwabike N, Ruel MT. Tubaramure, a Food-Assisted Integrated Health and Nutrition Program, Reduces Child Wasting in Burundi: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Intervention Trial. J Nutr 2020; 151:197-205. [PMID: 33245129 PMCID: PMC7717329 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the impact of food-assisted maternal and child health programs (FA-MCHN) on child wasting. OBJECTIVES We assessed the impact of Tubaramure, a FA-MCHN program in Burundi, on child (0 to 24 months) wasting and the differential impacts by socio-economic characteristics and age. The program targeted women and their children during the first 1000 days and included 1) food rations, 2) strengthening and promotion of use of health services, and 3) behavior change communication (BCC). METHODS We conducted a 4-arm, cluster-randomized, controlled trial (2010-2012). Clusters were defined as "collines" (communities). Impact was estimated using repeated cross-sectional data (n = ∼2620 children in each round). Treatment arms received household and individual (mother or child in the first 1000 days) food rations (corn-soy blend and micronutrient-fortified vegetable oil) from pregnancy to 24 months (T24 arm), from pregnancy to 18 months (T18), or from birth to 24 months (TNFP). All beneficiaries received the same BCC for the first 1000 days. The control arm received no rations or BCC. RESULTS Wasting (weight-for-length Z-score <2 SD) increased from baseline to follow-up in the control group (from 6.5% to 8%), but Tubaramure had a significant (P < 0.05) protective effect on wasting [treatment arms combined, -3.3 percentage points (pp); T18, -4.5 pp] and on the weight-for-length z-score (treatment arms combined, +0.15; T24, +0.20; T18, +0.17). The effects were limited to children whose mother and household head had no education, and who lived in the poorest households. The largest effect was found in children 6 to 12 months of age: the group with the highest wasting prevalence. CONCLUSIONS FA-MCHN programs in highly food-insecure regions can protect the most disadvantaged children from wasting. These findings are particularly relevant in the context of the economic crisis due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, which is expected to dramatically increase child wasting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Deanna K Olney
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Noé Nduwabike
- Institut de Statistiques et d'Études Économiques du Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi
| | - Marie T Ruel
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
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15
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Dewey KG. Reducing Child Stunting: Moving Forward on Evaluating Effectiveness of Programs. J Nutr 2020; 150:2843-2845. [PMID: 32939541 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn G Dewey
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Stewart CP, Wessells KR, Arnold CD, Huybregts L, Ashorn P, Becquey E, Humphrey JH, Dewey KG. Lipid-based nutrient supplements and all-cause mortality in children 6-24 months of age: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr 2020; 111:207-218. [PMID: 31697329 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Undernutrition is associated with an elevated risk of mortality among children in low- and middle-income countries. Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) have been evaluated as a method to prevent undernutrition and improve infant development, but the effects on mortality are unknown. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to evaluate the effect of LNS on all-cause mortality among children 6-24 mo old. METHODS We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of LNS designed to prevent undernutrition, with or without other interventions. Literature was searched in May 2019 and trials were included if they enrolled children between 6 and 24 mo old and the period of supplementation lasted ≥6 mo. We extracted data from participant flow diagrams and contacted study investigators to request data. We conducted a meta-analysis to produce summary RR estimates. RESULTS We identified 18 trials conducted in 11 countries that enrolled 41,280 children and reported 586 deaths. The risk of mortality was lower in the LNS arms than in the non-LNS comparison arms (RR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.89; 13 trials). Estimates were similar when trials with maternal LNS intervention arms were added or when alternative formulations of LNS were excluded. The results appeared stronger in trials in which LNS were compared with passive control arms. Excluding these contrasts and only comparing multicomponent arms with LNS groups and comparison groups that contained all the same components without LNS attenuated the effect estimate (RR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.61, 1.10). CONCLUSIONS LNS provided for the prevention of undernutrition may reduce the risk of mortality, but more trials with appropriate comparison groups allowing isolation of the effect of LNS alone are needed.This study was registered at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO as CRD42019128718.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine P Stewart
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - K Ryan Wessells
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Charles D Arnold
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Lieven Huybregts
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Per Ashorn
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Elodie Becquey
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jean H Humphrey
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kathryn G Dewey
- Institute for Global Nutrition, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Huybregts L, Le Port A, Becquey E, Zongrone A, Barba FM, Rawat R, Leroy JL, Ruel MT. Impact on child acute malnutrition of integrating small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements into community-level screening for acute malnutrition: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Mali. PLoS Med 2019; 16:e1002892. [PMID: 31454356 PMCID: PMC6711497 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) has been widely adopted to treat childhood acute malnutrition (AM), but its effectiveness in program settings is often limited by implementation constraints, low screening coverage, and poor treatment uptake and adherence. This study addresses the problem of low screening coverage by testing the impact of distributing small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNSs) at monthly screenings held by community health volunteers (CHVs). Screening sessions included behavior change communication (BCC) on nutrition, health, and hygiene practices (both study arms) and SQ-LNSs (one study arm). Impact was assessed on AM screening and treatment coverage and on AM incidence and prevalence. METHODS AND FINDINGS A two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial in 48 health center catchment areas in the Bla and San health districts in Mali was conducted from February 2015 to April 2017. In both arms, CHVs led monthly AM screenings in children 6-23 months of age and provided BCC to caregivers. The intervention arm also received a monthly supply of SQ-LNSs to stimulate caregivers' participation and supplement children's diet. We used two study designs: i) a repeated cross-sectional study (n = approximately 2,300) with baseline and endline surveys to examine impacts on AM screening and treatment coverage and prevalence (primary study outcomes) and ii) a longitudinal study of children enrolled at 6 months of age (n = 1,132) and followed monthly for 18 months to assess impact on AM screening and treatment coverage and incidence (primary study outcomes). All analyses were done by intent to treat. The intervention significantly increased AM screening coverage (cross-sectional study: +40 percentage points [pp], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 32, 49, p < 0.001; longitudinal study: +28 pp, 95% CI: 23, 33, p < 0.001). No impact on treatment coverage or AM prevalence was found. Children in the intervention arm, however, were 29% (95% CI: 8, 46; p = 0.017) less likely to develop a first AM episode (incidence) and, compared to children in comparison arm, their overall risk of AM (longitudinal prevalence) was 30% (95% CI: 12, 44; p = 0.002) lower. The intervention lowered CMAM enrollment by 10 pp (95% CI: 1.9, 18; p = 0.016), an unintended negative impact likely due to CHVs handing out preventive SQ-LNSs to caregivers of AM children instead of referring them to the CMAM program. Study limitations were i) the referral of AM cases by our research team (for ethical reasons) during monthly measurements in the longitudinal study might have interfered with usual CMAM activities and ii) the outcomes presented by child age also reflect seasonal variations because of the closed cohort design. CONCLUSIONS Incorporating SQ-LNSs into monthly community-level AM screenings and BCC sessions was highly effective at improving screening coverage and reducing AM incidence, but it did not improve AM prevalence or treatment coverage. Future evaluation and implementation research on CMAM should carefully assess and tackle the remaining barriers that prevent AM cases from being correctly diagnosed, referred, and adequately treated. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02323815.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieven Huybregts
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Agnes Le Port
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Elodie Becquey
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Amanda Zongrone
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Francisco M. Barba
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Rahul Rawat
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Jef L. Leroy
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Marie T. Ruel
- Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, United States of America
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