Clinical Trial: The Effect of a Cash Transfer Program on Household Welfare and Child Nutritional Status in Mali

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: The Effect of a Cash Transfer Program on Household Welfare and Child Nutritional Status in Mali

Brief Summary:

In the last two decades, cash transfer (CT) programs have emerged as a popular approach to long-term poverty alleviation. While the main goal of cash transfer programs is to reduce poverty, they also have the potential to improve many development outcomes, such as health and education.

While many studies, mainly in Latin America and Asia, have investigated the impacts of CTs on poverty and food security and have, for the most part, found positive impacts, less is known about the impacts of CTs in Africa south of the Sahara, and, in particular, West Africa. Moreover, despite the fact that cash transfers have been shown to lead to decreases in poverty, improvements in household food security, and increases in health service utilization, impacts on children's nutritional status (including anthropometric measures) are generally small (Manley, Gitter, and Slavchevska 2013). Consequently, policymakers and governments are left with the question of how to design social safety nets, such as cash transfers, to achieve greater impact on diet quality, health, and nutrition.

The overall goal of this research is to generate evidence and knowledge on an integrated program implemented by the Government of Mali that includes a combination of cash transfers and targeted nutrition interventions. The information generated will inform program implementers and policymakers about best options to improve food security and nutrition among vulnerable groups and individuals in West Africa. Specifically, the main objectives of the research are

1. To provide evidence on the contribution of integrated social transfer programs to enhancing household welfare, food security, dietary diversity, and maternal and child nutrition in West Africa.
2. T
   

   Detailed Summary:
   Sponsor: International Food Policy Research Institute
   

   Current Primary Outcome:

   • Child Height-for-age Z-score [ Time Frame: After 24 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Value of household consumption [ Time Frame: After 24 months of program implementation ]
     The household consumption includes food and non-food related economic consumption
   • Household dietary diversity [ Time Frame: After 24 months of program implementation ]
     The household dietary diversity is estimated by a dietary diversity score counting food groups
   • Child Height-for-age Z-score [ Time Frame: After 36 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Value of household consumption [ Time Frame: After 36 months of program implementation ]
     The household consumption includes food and non-food related economic consumption
   • Household dietary diversity [ Time Frame: After 36 months of program implementation ]
     The household dietary diversity is estimated by a dietary diversity score counting food groups
   
   
   

   Original Primary Outcome:

   • Child Height-for-age Z-score [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Value of household consumption [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     The household consumption includes food and non-food related economic consumption
   • Household dietary diversity [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     The household dietary diversity is estimated by a dietary diversity score counting food groups
   
   
   

   Current Secondary Outcome:

   • Child Weight-for-height Z-score [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Prevalence of child wasting [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Prevalence of child stunting [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Child hemoglobin concentration [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Prevalence of child anemia [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Body Mass Index of primary caregiver of index child [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Early child development [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Child morbidity (acute respiratory infections, fever, vomiting, diarrhea) [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Caregiver's knowledge and practices related to Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), child health and hygiene [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Household assets and savings [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Educational level of Household members [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Household food security [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     Measured by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS)
   • Household composition [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     This entails the household size, the number of one parent households, monogamous and polygamous households, number of infants and children.
   • Household agricultural production [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     The composition and quantity of all crops grown by the houshold over the last year is being recalled
   • Cognitive function of the head of household [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     Measured by spatial Stroop test and digit span test (forward and backward)
   • Well-being of household members [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     Well-being is assessed by measuring stress, anxiety, psychological well-being, partner violence, marital quality, depression, occurrence of disputes and resource allocation.
   • Women's empowerment [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     Measured by pro-WEAI instrument adapted to local context
   • Child dietary diversity [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     Child dietary diversity is estimated by a dietary diversity score counting food groups consumed
   • Professional occupation of household members [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     We assess if household members have different formal and informal professional occupations or main revenue generating activities between intervention and control group
   • Child Mid-upper Arm Circumference [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   
   
   

   Original Secondary Outcome:

   • Child Weight-for-height Z-score [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Prevalence of child wasting [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Prevalence of child stunting [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     To calculate WHZ scores the 2006 WHO growth reference will be used
   • Child hemoglobin concentration [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Prevalence of child anemia [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Body Mass Index of primary caregiver of index child [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Early child development [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Child morbidity (acute respiratory infections, fever, vomiting, diarrhea) [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Caregiver's knowledge and practices related to Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), child health and hygiene [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Household assets and savings [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Educational level of Household members [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Household food security [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Household composition [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Household agricultural production [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Cognitive function of the head of household [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Well-being of household members [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
     Well-being is assessed by measuring stress, anxiety, psychological well-being, partner violence, marital quality, depression, occurrence of disputes and resource allocation.
   • Women's empowerment [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Child dietary diversity [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   • Professional occupation of household members [ Time Frame: After 24 months and 36 months of program implementation ]
   
   
   Information By: International Food Policy Research Institute
   

   Dates:
   Date Received: August 3, 2016
   Date Started: September 2014
   Date Completion: July 2018
   Last Updated: August 9, 2016
   Last Verified: August 2016