Linking Microcredit, Technology, and Promotion of IYCF Breastfeeding Guidelines in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The University of North Carolina (UNC) and Partners for Development (PFD), an American non-governmental organization, will conduct a 2-year cluster-randomized controlled trial in Bauchi State, Nigeria, to test the effectiveness of two behavior change strategies for increasing the proportion of participants who exclusively breastfeed their infants until 6 months. The investigators will build upon PFD's existing microcredit and reproductive health program by adding face-to-face breastfeeding education during borrowers' meetings and bi-weekly cell phone breastfeeding messages. The hypothesis is that the control group will remain at the baseline level for exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months, while the intervention group will increase by 15%. The investigators will measure the effectiveness of the intervention by conducting baseline and final surveys with a cohort of 485 female borrowers who are pregnant at time 1 and who have a 6-month-old infant at time 2. The data will be analyzed using logistic regression adjusting for possible confounders and the effect of clustering.

Official Title
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Linking Microcredit, Technology, and Promotion of IYCF Breastfeeding Guidelines in Bauchi State, Nigeria

Conditions
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Breast Feeding Exclusive, Initiation of Breastfeeding

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Breastfeeding promotion intervention


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Participation in a microcredit borrower group sponsored by Partners for Development in Bauchi, Dass, or Ganjuwa Local Government Authority in Bauchi State, Nigeria Female (15-45 years) Pregnant at baseline Exclusion Criteria: Female (<15 years) Not pregnant

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 15 Years
Maximum Age: 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Female

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: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Breastfeeding promotion intervention<br>Intervention: Group breastfeeding counseling during monthly microcredit borrower group meetings Weekly cell phone messages about breastfeeding | Behavioral: Breastfeeding promotion intervention<br>* Breastfeeding counseling during monthly microcredit meetings Weekly cell phone messages about breastfeeding<br>|
| No Intervention: No intervention<br>The no intervention group will participate in their regular microcredit borrower group meetings, but will not receive breastfeeding counseling or cell phone messages. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Proportion of women who exclusively breastfeed to 6 months |  | The outcome will be measured when the infant is 6-7 months old. | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Proportion of women who exclusively breastfeed for 0-1 month |  | The outcome will be measured when the infant is 6-7 months old. | 
| Proportion of women who exclusively breastfeed for 2-3 months |  | The outcome will be measured when the infant is 6-7 months old. | 
| Initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth |  | The outcome will be measured when the infant is 6-7 months old. | 
| Proportion of infants who receive pre-lacteal feeds |  | The outcome will be measured when the infant is 6-7 months old. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Breast feeding Exclusive, Initiation of breastfeeding