Helen Keller International's Enhanced-Homestead Food Production Program in Burkina Faso

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Helen Keller International (HKI) has been implementing homestead food production (HFP) programs in Asia for the past 20 years and has recently begun implementing HFP programs in Africa as well. In general, these programs target women and are designed to improve maternal and child health and nutrition outcomes through three primary pathways: 1. Increasing the availability of micronutrient-rich foods through increased household production of these foods; 2. Raising income through the sale of surplus production; and 3. Increasing knowledge and adoption of optimal nutrition practices, including the consumption of micronutrient-rich foods. Evaluations of HFP programs have consistently demonstrated significant increases in household production and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods. This increased consumption, along with improvements in health and nutrition related knowledge, and increased income, could all contribute to improvements in maternal and child health and nutrition outcomes. However, to date there has been limited understanding as to how these types of programs can be optimized to maximize impacts on these outcomes. In order to better understand the potential of these types of programs to improve maternal and child health and nutrition outcomes and how this impact may be achieved IFPRI has been collaborating with HKI to evaluate one of their E-HFP programs in Burkina Faso. The evaluation considers impact of the program through the three pathways above, and assesses anthropometric and clinical measures of nutrition, as well as looking at how the programs might be improved.

Official Title
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THE IMPACT OF THE ENHANCED HOMESTEAD FOOD PRODUCTION PROGRAM ON CHILD HEALTH

Conditions
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Growth, Anemia

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Enhanced-Homestead Food Production Program


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Mother of child between the ages of 3 and 12 months and her child Exclusion Criteria: N/A

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 3 Months
Maximum Age: 12 Months

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Program participation<br>Participation in an enhanced-homestead food production program including home gardening and nutrition and health behavior change communication | Other: Enhanced-Homestead Food Production Program<br>* Participation in an enhanced-homestead food production program including home gardening and nutrition and health behavior change communication<br>|
| No Intervention: Control<br> | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Growth | Change in height-for-age Z-scores, weight-for-age Z-scores and weight-for-height Z-scores will be measured as well as the change in the prevalence of stunting (HAZ <-2), underweight (WAZ <-2) and wasting (WHZ <-2) over the course of the two year program period. | Measurements will be made for children between the ages of 3 and 12 months of age at baseline and then 2 years later, at endline, when the children are between the ages of 23 and 40 months | 
| Hemoglobin |  | Measurements will be made for children between the ages of 3 and 12 months of age at baseline and then 2 years later, at endline, when the children are between the ages of 23 and 40 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Food security |  | Baseline (2010), Endline (2012), follow-up (2013) | 
| Household assets |  | Baseline (2010), Endline (2012), follow-up (2013) | 
| Household consumption |  | Baseline (2010), Endline (2012), follow-up (2013) | 
| Household livestock holdings |  | Baseline (2010), Endline (2012), follow-up (2013) | 
| Dietary diversity |  | Baseline (2010), Endline (2012), follow-up (2013) | 
| Mother's BMI |  | Baseline (2010), Endline (2012), follow-up (2013) | 
| Maternal health and nutrition-related knowledge |  | Baseline (2010), Endline (2012), follow-up (2013) | 
| IYCF practices |  | Baseline (2010), Endline (2012), follow-up (2013) |