Food Security and Nutrition in Rural Cambodia

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The project is a three arm randomized control trial in rural Cambodia designed to evaluate the impact of homestead food production (home gardens) with and without fish ponds versus control on household food security, dietary intake of women and youngest child, biochemical nutritional status of women, and household livelihoods over a 22 month period. Baseline and end line surveys will be conducted that involve questionnaires and a blood sample.

Official Title
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Integration of Small-scale Aquaculture With Homestead Food Production for Improved Household Food Security and Nutrition in Rural Cambodia

Conditions
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Household Food Security

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: plant-based Homestead Food Production
* Behavioral: Homestead Food Production plus small pond aquaculture
* Behavioral: a comparison group


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Must be represented by a woman. Must fall within the poor category in terms of community wealth rankings. Must have access to land (including homestead) for agriculture cultivation. Must have sufficient access to labor to undertake the homestead production activities. Must have a keen interest in participating in this action. Must have a least one child less than five years of age (in 80% of the target households). Have suitable land for pond and preferably own a small pond In addition village model farm owners will: Have at least 1,200 square meters of land that can be used to establish the model farm; Have some disposable income to invest in the model farm for fencing and land preparation; Be productive, open to new ideas and willing to provide assistance to other households in the village; Be able and willing to maintain the VMF throughout the year; Commit to providing inputs and marketing support to group members at least during the project. Exclusion Criteria: None, only that they don't meet the inclusion criteria
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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: Homestead Food Production plus small pond aquaculture<br> | Behavioral: Homestead Food Production plus small pond aquaculture<br>* In the case of the aquaculture arm a pond will be dug if there is not an existing pond and fingerlings and brood stocks will be provided. Hatcheries will be established if there is not one within a reasonable distance of the farms.<br>|
| Active Comparator: plant-based Homestead Food Production<br> | Behavioral: plant-based Homestead Food Production<br>* The village model farm will be provided with the necessary inputs to establish their farm including saplings seeds etc.<br>|
| Sham Comparator: Control<br> | Behavioral: a comparison group<br>* No intervention.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change from Baseline in nutritionally related biochemical measures at 22 months | Haemoglobin (g/l) Haematocrit (%) Serum Ferritin (ng/ml) White Cell Count (x109/l) Red Cell Count (x1012/l) Mean Corpuscular Volume (fl) Mean Cell Haemoglobin (pg) Red Cell Width % Platelet Count (x109/l) Neutrophils % Eosinophils % Lymphocytes % Monocytes % Neutrophils # (x109/l) Eosinophils # (x109/l) Lymphocytes # (x109/l) Monocytes # (x109/l) C-Reactive Protein (mg/l) | At baseline and 22 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 24-hour dietary recall |  | At baseline and 22 months | 
| Mid-upper arm circumference |  | At baseline and 22 months | 
| Household Food Security Scale |  | At baseline and 22 months |