Clinical Trial: Food Aid Quality Review: Feasibility and Acceptability Study of Corn Soy Blend and Fortified Vegetable Oil in Malawi
Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Food Aid Quality Review: Feasibility and Acceptability Study of Corn Soy Blend and Fortified Vegetable Oil in Malawi
Brief Summary:
This research will test alternative methods of ensuring compliance with recommended preparation and targeting of supplementary foods for malnourished children under five years of age.
The hypotheses that the proposed study intends to test are as follows:
- With appropriate behavior change communication (BCC) and social support, and with provision of CSB and FVO in the correct proportions, it is possible to get women to prepare CSB with oil in the recommended ratio of 100:30, and in quantities just sufficient for the target child.
- Providing CSB to Beneficiary Mothers/Caretakers pre-packaged bags of 2 kg with appropriate messaging and with instructions to direct the food to children and to prepare the CSB with oil in the recommended ratio and feed as instructed will result in better compliance.
Detailed Summary:
The first stage of the study involves working with the procurement and program staff to ensure that oil and CSB will be available at the same time in sufficient quantities and can be distributed together. We will work with program staff and outside consultants (if needed) to develop locally acceptable recipes for CSB plus oil. A sample of communities with MCHN programs will be chosen, and the intervention (consistent provision of CSB with oil, teaching of recipes using CSB with oil, appropriate behavioral support) implemented. Tufts and locally contracted researchers will interview program staff involved in procurement and supply chain management as well as program staff, and beneficiaries, to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the provision of CSB with oil, and identify barriers and problems. This stage is expected to take six months.
In the second stage of the study, the CSB will be distributed in new, smaller packages in half the sample communities, with the other half continuing with their normal distribution. In preparation for this stage, during the first stage, Tufts researchers will arrange for the production/packaging of a sufficient supply of CSB in the new packages, and will contract with local communications specialists to develop appropriate messages, so these will be available in time for the second stage of the study. Tufts and locally contracted researchers will collect information from program staff on their perception of the feasibility and impact of the change, and will interview beneficiaries to determine how they use the CSB and whether their use changes with the change in packaging/messaging. We may track the effect on intrahousehold sharing through self report of consumption among family members. This stage will last about six months, with data collection from beneficiaries conducted before and up to six months after the start of the interv
Sponsor: Tufts University
Current Primary Outcome: Change in average percent of oil by volume in the porridge as prepared [ Time Frame: Baseline (July 2013), Phase I (October 2013) 3 months, Phase II (January 2014) 6 months ]
Original Primary Outcome: Same as current
Current Secondary Outcome:
Original Secondary Outcome:
Information By: Tufts University
Dates:
Date Received: April 22, 2013
Date Started: July 2013
Date Completion:
Last Updated: February 2, 2015
Last Verified: February 2015
