Project description:Home fortification of complementary foods (CFs) with multiple micronutrient powders (MNPs) is being scaled up in various countries, but little is known about the prevailing complementary feeding practices and the type and nutrient gaps to be filled with MNPs. The present study evaluated the complementary feeding practices of young children and simulated the risk of inadequate and excessive intakes associated with home fortification with MNPs. We have assessed the sociodemographic status, anthropometry, and complementary feeding practices of young children (N = 122) in Mecha district, rural Ethiopia. Using a 2-day, quantitative 24-hr recall, usual intakes of energy, protein, iron, zinc, and calcium were estimated. The risks of inadequate and excessive iron and zinc intakes with or without home fortification scenarios were assessed. The simulations considered intakes from CFs assuming average breast milk contributions and additional nutrients provided by the MNPs. Stunting was highly prevalent (50%) and was associated with a lower dietary diversity (P = .009) and nutrient intakes from the CFs. Median energy, zinc, and calcium intakes were below the estimated needs from CFs; protein needs were met. Median dietary iron intake appeared adequate, but 76%, 95% CI [68%, 84%], of children had inadequate intake (assuming low bioavailability), whereas another 8%, 95% CI: [3%, 13%], had excessive intakes. Simulation of daily and alternative day's fortification with MNP decreased the prevalence of inadequate iron and zinc intake but significantly increased the risk of excessive intakes that remained unacceptably high for iron (>2.5%). Untargeted MNP interventions may lead to excessive intakes, even in settings where poor complementary feeding practices are prevalent.
Project description:BACKGROUND:The efficacy of home fortification with iron-containing micronutrient powders varies between trials, perhaps in part due to population differences in adherence. We aimed to assess to what extent adherence measured by sachet count or self-reporting forms is in agreement with adherence measured by electronic device. In addition, we explored how each method of adherence assessment (electronic device, sachet count, self-reporting forms) is associated with haemoglobin concentration measured at the end of intervention; and to what extent baseline factors were associated with adherence as measured by electronic device. METHODS:Three hundred thirty-eight rural Kenyan children aged 12-36 months were randomly allocated to three treatment arms (home fortification with two different iron formulations or placebo). Home fortificants were administered daily by parents or guardians over a 30 day-intervention period. We assessed adherence using an electronic device that stores and provides information of the time and day of opening of the container that was used to store the fortificants sachets in each child's residence. In addition, we assessed adherence by self-reporting and sachet counts. We also measured haemoglobin concentration at the end of intervention. RESULTS:Adherence, defined as having received at least 24 sachets (??80%), during the 30-day intervention period was attained by only 60.6% of children as assessed by the electronic device. The corresponding values were higher when adherence was assessed by self-report (83.9%; difference: 23.3%, 95% CI: 18.8% to 27.8%) or sachet count (86.3%; difference: 25.7%, 95% CI: 21.0% to 30.4%). Among children who received iron, each 10 openings of the electronic cap of the sachet storage container were associated with an increase in haemoglobin concentration at the end of intervention by 1.2 g/L (95% CI: 0.0 to 1.9 g/L). Adherence was associated with the age of the parent but not with intervention group; with age, sex or anthropometric indices of the child; or with age or sex of the parent or guardian. CONCLUSIONS:The use of self -reporting and sachet count may lead to overestimates of adherence to home fortification. TRIAL REGISTRATION:The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02073149 ) on 25 February 2014.
Project description:ObjectiveWe estimated the cost-effectiveness of home fortification with micronutrient powder delivered in a sales-based programme in reducing the prevalence of Fe deficiency anaemia among children 6-59 months in Bangladesh.DesignCross-sectional interviews with local and central-level programme staff and document reviews were conducted. Using an activity-based costing approach, we estimated start-up and implementation costs of the programme. The incremental cost per anaemia case averted and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) averted were estimated by comparing the home fortification programme and no intervention scenarios.SettingThe home fortification programme was implemented in 164 upazilas (sub-districts) in Bangladesh.ParticipantsCaregivers of child 6-59 months and BRAC staff members including community health workers were the participants for this study.ResultsThe home fortification programme had an estimated total start-up cost of 35·46 million BDT (456 thousand USD) and implementation cost of 1111·63 million BDT (14·12 million USD). The incremental cost per Fe deficiency anaemia case averted and per DALY averted was estimated to be 1749 BDT (22·2 USD) and 12 558 BDT (159·3 USD), respectively. Considering per capita gross domestic product (1516·5 USD) as the cost-effectiveness threshold, the home fortification programme was highly cost-effective. The programme coverage and costs for nutritional counselling of the beneficiary were influential parameters for cost per DALY averted in the one-way sensitivity analysis.ConclusionsThe market-based home fortification programme was a highly cost-effective mechanism for delivering micronutrients to a large number of children in Bangladesh. The policymakers should consider funding and sustaining large-scale sales-based micronutrient home fortification efforts assuming the clear population-level need and potential to benefit persists.
Project description:Child undernutrition continues to be a national concern in Indonesia, whereas childhood overweight/obesity rises. Economic development has led to wide availability of highly processed foods and beverages, with growing evidence that children are consuming commercial snack products during the critical complementary feeding period. This study assessed the prevalence and patterns of consumption of commercially produced snack foods and sugar-sweetened beverages among Indonesian children. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 495 mothers of children aged 6-35 months living in Bandung City, Indonesia. Among all children, 81.6% consumed a commercial snack food and 40.0% consumed a sugar-sweetened beverage in the day preceding the interview. At 6-11 months, 46.5% of children consumed a snack food and 2.0% consumed a sugar-sweetened beverage. Snack foods were consumed 3 or more times a day by 60.0% of children 24-35 months of age. Sweet biscuits and savory snacks were the most commonly consumed snack foods; sweetened milks and sweetened teas were the most common beverages. Maternal education, child age, and consumption of a commercially produced complementary food were associated with snack food consumption. Factors associated with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption were child age and consumption of a commercially produced complementary food or breastmilk substitute. These findings reflect a high presence of processed, high-sugar/salt commercial snack products in the diets of children 6-35 months. National attention should focus on interventions to reduce reliance on processed snack products and increase consumption of nutrient-rich, locally available foods during the complementary feeding period.
Project description:BackgroundHome fortification of complementary foods with multiple micronutrient powders (MNPs) is recommended to reduce child anemia in resource-poor settings. However, evidence of program effectiveness in India to guide policies and programs is lacking.ObjectivesWe implemented a large-scale intervention of MNPs in Bihar, India. The primary outcome was MNP consumption and change in hemoglobin concentration among children aged 6-18 mo between baseline and endline (12 mo). Secondary outcomes were change in child weight and length and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices (initiation, diversity, and feeding frequency). Ad hoc analyses included changes in anemia; stunting; underweight; wasting; and reported diarrhea, fever, and hospitalization.MethodsWe conducted a cluster-randomized, effectiveness trial in >4000 children within the context of ongoing health and nutrition programs implemented by CARE, India. Seventy health subcenters were randomly assigned to receive either MNPs with IYCF counseling (intervention) or IYCF counseling only (control). We used an adjusted difference-in-difference approach using repeat cross-sectional surveys at baseline and endline to evaluate impact.ResultsAt baseline, 75% of intervention and 69% of control children were anemic and 33% were stunted. By endline, 70% of intervention households reported their child had ever consumed MNPs, and of those, 64% had consumed MNPs in the past month. Relative to control, hemoglobin concentration increased (0.22 g/dL; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.44 g/dL) and anemia declined by 7.1 percentage points (pp) (95% CI: -13.5, -0.7 pp). There was no impact on anthropometry nor IYCF practices. However, there was a decline of 8.0 pp (95% CI: -14.9, -1.1 pp) in stunting among children aged 12-18 mo. Diarrhea prevalence in the past 2 wk was reduced by 4.0 pp (95% CI: -7.6, -0.4 pp).ConclusionsHome fortification of complementary foods within a government-run program in Bihar had moderate compliance and caused modest improvements in hemoglobin and reductions in anemia and diarrhea prevalence.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Breastfeeding and adequate complementary feeding are associated with healthy eating habits, prevention of nutritional deficiencies, obesity and non-communicable diseases. Our aim was to identify feeding practices and to evaluate the association between breastmilk intake and complementary feeding, focusing on ultra-processed foods (UPF) and sweetened beverages, among children under 2?years old. METHODS:We conducted a cross-sectional study including 847 children from 20 Primary Health Units. We evaluated children's food consumption using a food intake markers questionnaire. We conducted a logistic regression to evaluate the effect of breastmilk intake on feeding practices. RESULTS:The breastmilk intake was associated with lower odds of consuming non-recommended foods, such as cookies or crackers (OR: 0.29; IC 95%: 0.20-0.41) for children under 6?months, yogurt (OR: 0.33; CI 95%: 0.12-0.88) for children between 6 and 12?months and soft drinks (OR: 0.36; CI 95%: 0.17-0.75) for children between 12 and 24?months. Moreover, the breastmilk intake was associated with lower odds of consuming UPF (OR: 0.26; CI 95%: 0.09-0.74) and sweetened beverages (OR: 0.13; CI 95%: 0.05-0.33) for children under 6?months. For children between 12 and 24?months, breastmilk intake was associated with lower odds of consuming sweetened beverages (OR: 0.40; CI 95%: 0.24-0.65). CONCLUSION:Breastmilk intake was associated with a reduced consumption of UPF and sweetened beverages. Investment in actions to scale up breastfeeding can generate benefits, besides those of breastmilk itself, translating into better feeding habits and preventing health problems in childhood.
Project description:OBJECTIVE:To examine the impact of a nutrition-sensitive social protection intervention on mothers' knowledge of Fe deficiency, awareness of multiple-micronutrient powders (MMP) and the consumption of MMP and other Fe supplements by their children aged 6-59 months. DESIGN:Two randomized controlled trials with treatment arms including cash transfers, food transfers, cash and food transfers, cash and nutrition behaviour change communication (BCC), and food and nutrition BCC were implemented over two years. Both included a control group that received no transfer or BCC. Transfer recipients were mothers living in poor households with at least one child aged less than 2 years at baseline. Probit models were used to analyse endline data. SETTING:Rural areas in north-west and south Bangladesh. SUBJECTS:Mothers (n 4840) and children 6-59 months (n 4840). RESULTS:A transfer accompanied by nutrition BCC increased the share of mothers with knowledge of Fe deficiency (11·9 and 9·2 percentage points for North and South, respectively, P?0·01), maternal awareness of MMP (29·0 and 22·2 percentage points, P?0·01), the likelihood that their children 6-59 months had ever consumed MMP (32 and 11·9 percentage points, P?0·01), consumed MMP in the preceding week (16·9 and 3·9 percentage points, P?0·01) and consumed either MMP or an Fe supplement in the preceding week (22·3 and 7·1 percentage points, P?0·01). Improvements were statistically significant relative to groups that received a transfer only. CONCLUSIONS:Nutrition-sensitive social protection (transfers with BCC added) may be a promising way to advance progress on micronutrient deficiencies.
Project description:To estimate the cost-effectiveness of price subsidies on fortified packaged complementary foods (FPCF) in reducing iodine deficiency, iron-deficiency anaemia and vitamin A deficiency in Pakistani children.The study proceeded in three steps: (i) we determined the current lifetime costs of the three micronutrient deficiencies with a health economic model; (ii) we assessed the price sensitivity of demand for FPCF with a market survey in two Pakistani districts; (iii) we combined the findings of the first two steps with the results of a systematic review on the effectiveness of FPCF in reducing micronutrient deficiencies. The cost-effectiveness was estimated by comparing the net social cost of price subsidies with the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) averted.Districts of Faisalabad and Hyderabad in Pakistan.Households with 6-23-month-old children stratified by socio-economic strata.The lifetime social costs of iodine deficiency, iron-deficiency anaemia and vitamin A deficiency in 6-23-month-old children amounted to production losses of $US 209 million and 175 000 DALY. Poor households incurred the highest costs, yet even wealthier households suffered substantial losses. Wealthier households were more likely to buy FPCF. The net cost per DALY of the interventions ranged from a return per DALY averted of $US 783 to $US 65. Interventions targeted at poorer households were most cost-effective.Price subsidies on FPCF might be a cost-effective way to reduce the societal costs of micronutrient deficiencies in 6-23-month-old children in Pakistan. Interventions targeting poorer households are especially cost-effective.