Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition
Condition: Malnutrition
MeSH terms: Malnutrition
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of reducing young child undernutrition in
      low-income countries through an integrated program that trains women's groups in agriculture,
      nutrition, child care and hygiene.
    

Detailed description: 
      An estimated 165 million children worldwide suffer from chronic undernutrition which leads to
      compromised physical and cognitive development and prevents them from reaching their full
      potential. Nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions that aim to increase dietary
      diversity, empower women and include an educational behaviour change component focused on
      nutrition and hygiene are a promising and sustainable approach to addressing undernutrition.
      However, evidence on the impact of such interventions is still scarce due to a lack of
      rigorous long-term evaluations.

      This study will test the hypothesis that integrated agriculture, nutrition and hygiene
      interventions can reduce undernutrition when children benefit in their crucial first 1000
      days. The investigators will conduct an impact evaluation of Helen Keller International's
      Homestead Food Production program in Bangladesh that trains women's groups in vegetable and
      fruit gardening, poultry rearing, hygiene, child care and nutrition. Furthermore, the
      investigators will assess the program impact pathway to discern how any impact is achieved
      (through improved food production, income, food security, health service use, female
      empowerment, feeding and hygiene practices).

      The study design is a cluster-randomized controlled field trial in two sub-districts of
      Habiganj District, Sylhet Division, Bangladesh, including 2700 young women in 96 settlements.
      After the baseline survey in 2015, settlements will be randomized into 48 intervention and 48
      control settlements. Women in the intervention settlements will receive training and support
      in Homestead Food Production during the following four years. A surveillance system will
      collect data on pregnancies, births, child development, nutrition and infections as well as
      pathway indicators. In 2019, the investigators will conduct the endline survey to assess the
      nutritional status of the 2700 women and their then approximately 1500 children below 3 years
      of age and compare between intervention and control.
    

Intervention name(s): Homestead Food Production program
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Training and support for vegetable gardening and poultry rearing, and education on young child nutrition, hygiene and health topics, in women's groups, as designed by the international non-governmental organization (NGO) Helen Keller International (HKI).
Other intervention name(s): Agriculture; Home gardening; Nutrition education
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Agriculture; Food; Micronutrients; Pregnancy; Infants; Women's groups; Bangladesh