Changing behavior through agriculture-nutrition integration: field experience and results. Regional Technical Committee meeting of the Scaling Up Sweetpotato Through Agriculture and Nutrition (SUSTAIN) project, 11–12 September 2018, Kigali, Rwanda

The Regional Technical Committee meeting of SUSTAIN in Kigali, held in September 2018, was organized to disseminate the results from the analyses of data from surveys, monitoring, and focus group discussions on SUSTAIN and VISTA–Tanzania projects. These analyses were conducted to provide insight into the implementation of the projects and also to shed light on the likely reasons for the observations made in the quantitative analysis. Results from field discussions with CIP partners – local and international NGOs, local government institutions, national and international organizations, the private sector, and donors – were also shared

Cost-effectiveness of community-based screening and treatment of moderate acute malnutrition in Mali.

IntroductionModerate acute malnutrition (MAM) causes substantial child morbidity and mortality, accounting for 4.4% of deaths and 6.0% of disability-adjusted life years (DALY) lost among children under 5 each year. There is growing consensus on the need to provide appropriate treatment of MAM, both to reduce associated morbidity and mortality and to halt its progression to severe acute malnutrition. We estimated health outcomes, costs and cost-effectiveness of four dietary supplements for MAM treatment in children 6-35 months of age in Mali.MethodsWe conducted a cluster-randomised MAM treatment trial to describe nutritional outcomes of four dietary supplements for the management of MAM: ready-to-use supplementary foods (RUSF; PlumpySup); a specially formulated corn-soy blend (CSB) containing dehulled soybean flour, maize flour, dried skimmed milk, soy oil and a micronutrient pre-mix (CSB++; Super Cereal Plus); Misola, a locally produced, micronutrient-fortified, cereal-legume blend (MI); and locally milled flour (LMF), a mixture of millet, beans, oil and sugar, with a separate micronutrient powder. We used a decision tree model to estimate long-term outcomes and calculated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) comparing the health and economic outcomes of each strategy.ResultsCompared to no MAM treatment, MAM treatment with RUSF, CSB++, MI and LMF reduced the risk of death by 15.4%, 12.7%, 11.9% and 10.3%, respectively. The ICER was US$9821 per death averted (2015 USD) and US$347 per DALY averted for RUSF compared with no MAM treatment.ConclusionMAM treatment with RUSF is cost-effective across a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds.Trial registrationNCT01015950

Percent Fat Mass Increases with Recovery, But Does Not Vary According to Dietary Therapy in Young Malian Children Treated for Moderate Acute Malnutrition.

BackgroundModerate acute malnutrition (MAM) affects 34.1 million children globally. Treatment effectiveness is generally determined by the amount and rate of weight gain. Body composition (BC) assessment provides more detailed information on nutritional stores and the type of tissue accrual than traditional weight measurements alone.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare the change in percentage fat mass (%FM) and other BC parameters among young Malian children with MAM according to receipt of 1 of 4 dietary supplements, and recovery status at the end of the 12-wk intervention period.MethodsBC was assessed using the deuterium oxide dilution method in a subgroup of 286 children aged 6-35 mo who participated in a 12-wk community-based, cluster-randomized effectiveness trial of 4 dietary supplements for the treatment of MAM: 1) lipid-based, ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF); 2) special corn-soy blend "plus plus" (CSB++); 3) locally processed, fortified flour (MI); or 4) locally milled flours plus oil, sugar, and micronutrient powder (LMF). Multivariate linear regression modeling was used to evaluate change in BC parameters by treatment group and recovery status.ResultsMean ± SD %FM at baseline was 28.6% ± 5.32%. Change in %FM did not vary between groups. Children who received RUSF vs. MI gained more (mean; 95% CI) weight (1.43; 1.13, 1.74 kg compared with 0.84; 0.66, 1.03 kg; P = 0.02), FM (0.70; 0.45, 0.96 kg compared with 0.20; 0.05, 0.36 kg; P = 0.01), and weight-for-length z score (1.23; 0.79, 1.54 compared with 0.49; 0.34, 0.71; P = 0.03). Children who recovered from MAM exhibited greater increases in all BC parameters, including %FM, than children who did not recover.ConclusionsIn this study population, children had higher than expected %FM at baseline. There were no differences in %FM change between groups. International BC reference data are needed to assess the utility of BC assessment in community-based management of acute malnutrition programs. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01015950

Ready-to-use food supplement, with or without arginine and citrulline, with daily chloroquine in Tanzanian children with sickle-cell disease: a double-blind, random order crossover trial

Background: Sickle-cell disease increases the risk of malnutrition. Low arginine and nitric oxide bioavailability are implicated in morbidity related to sickle-cell disease. Simple interventions are required, especially in low-income settings. We aimed to test the hypotheses that: (1) supplementary arginine, citrulline, and daily chloroquine increase bioavailable arginine and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD; maximal diameter change; FMDmax%), a measure of nitric oxide-dependent endothelial function; and (2) protein energy supplementation in the form of ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) improves the height-for-age and body-mass index-for-age Z-scores in children with sickle-cell disease. Methods: We performed a double-blind, random order crossover trial with two 4-month intervention periods (each followed by 4-month washout periods) in Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. We enrolled 119 children from the Muhimbili Sickle Cohort who were aged 8–12 years, naive to hydroxyurea, and had documented HbSS phenotype. Two formulations of RUSF (providing 500 kcal/day) were tested: basic (RUSF-b), with which children also received weekly chloroquine (150 mg or 225 mg chloroquine base, dependent on bodyweight); and vascular (RUSF-v), which was fortified with arginine and citrulline (designed to achieve mean intakes of 0·2 g/kg per day of arginine and 0·1 g/kg per day of citrulline), and with which children received daily chloroquine (maximum 3 mg chloroquine base/kg per day). Children were randomly allocated to receive either RUSF-b first or RUSF-v first and, after a washout period, were then given the other treatment. The primary outcomes in comparing the two RUSF formulations were mean plasma arginine, arginine to ornithine ratio, and arginine to asymmetric dimethylarginine ratio, and mean FMDmax%. The primary outcomes of the combined effect of both RUSF interventions were mean height-for-age Z-score and body-mass index-for-age Z-score. Analyses were done on the eligible intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01718054; and with ISRCTN74331412. Findings: Between Aug 9, 2012, and Feb 26, 2014, 145 children were randomised (71 children to RUSF-v first and 74 children to RUSF-b first) and 119 children were treated, of whom 114 children yielded complete data for all reported endpoints. The ratio of arginine to ornithine (mean of individual differences −8·67%, 95% CI −19·55 to 2·20; p=0·12) and the mean FMDmax% (1·00, −0·47 to 2·47; p=0·18) did not significantly differ between the RUSF-b and RUSF-v treatments. However, the arginine to asymmetric dimethylarginine ratio was significantly increased by RUSF-v compared with RUSF-b (56·26%, 31·13 to 81·38; p&lt;0·0001). In planned analyses that used mixed effects models to estimate the effect of each intervention compared with the participants at baseline or during washout periods, the arginine to asymmetric dimethylarginine ratio increased following both RUSF-v treatment (86%; p&lt;0·0001) and RUSF-b treatment (40%; p&lt;0·0001). However, FMDmax% was higher after treatment with RUSF-v (0·92; p&lt;0·0001) but not RUSF-b (0·39; p=0·22). Following either intervention (RUSF-b and RUSF-v, pooled) body-mass index-for-age Z-score (0·091; p=0·001) and height-for-age Z-score (0·013; p=0·081) increased compared with baseline and washout timepoints. In 83 participants in the treated population, there were 71 adverse events during the intervention, of which 21 (30%) were serious, and 81 adverse events during the washout periods, of which 26 (32%) were serious (p=0·31), including one patient who died in the second washout period. Interpretation: RUSF providing 500 kcal/day results in small weight gains in children with sickle-cell disease. However, even without arginine and citrulline fortification, RUSF seems to ameliorate arginine dysregulation and might improve endothelial function. Long-term studies are required to assess whether these physiological effects translate to improved clinical outcomes and better growth and development in patients with sickle-cell disease. Funding: Wellcome Trust.</p

Impact of food supplements on hemoglobin, iron status, and inflammation in children with moderate acute malnutrition: a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial randomized trial in Burkina Faso.

Background: Children with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) are treated with lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNSs) or corn-soy blends (CSBs) but little is known about the impact of these supplements on hemoglobin, iron status, and inflammation. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of supplementary foods for treatment of MAM on hemoglobin, iron status, inflammation, and malaria. Design: A randomized 2 × 2 × 3 factorial trial was conducted in Burkina Faso. Children aged 6-23 mo with MAM received 500 kcal/d as LNS or CSB, containing either dehulled soy (DS) or soy isolate (SI) and different quantities of dry skimmed milk (0%, 20% or 50% of total protein) for 12 wk. The trial was double-blind with regard to quality of soy and quantity of milk, but not matrix (CSB compared to LNS). Hemoglobin, serum ferritin (SF), serum soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), serum C-reactive protein (CRP), serum α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), and malaria antigens were measured at inclusion and after supplementation. Results: Between September 2013 and August 2014, 1609 children were enrolled. Among these, 61 (3.8%) were lost to follow-up. During the 12-wk supplementation period, prevalence of anemia, low SF adjusted for inflammation (SFAI), elevated sTfR, and iron-deficiency anemia decreased by 16.9, 8.7, 12.6 and 10.5 percentage points. Children who received LNS compared to CSB had higher hemoglobin (2 g/L; 95% CI: 1, 4 g/L), SFAI (4.2 µg/L; 95% CI: 2.9, 5.5 µg/L), and CRP (0.8 mg/L; 95% CI: 0.4, 1.2 mg/L) and lower sTfR (-0.9 mg/L, 95% CI: -1.3, -0.6 mg/L) after the intervention. Replacing DS with SI or increasing milk content did not affect hemoglobin, SFAI, sTfR, or CRP. Conclusion: Supplementation with LNS compared to CSB led to better hemoglobin and iron status, but overall prevalence of anemia remained high. The higher concentrations of acute-phase proteins in children who received LNSs requires further investigation. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN42569496

Community-based management of acute malnutrition in Malian children: a cluster randomized trial

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at [email protected]. Thank you.Acute malnutrition (AM), characterized by wasting, affects 55 million children under five years of age in developing countries. In Mali, the prevalence of AM exceeds 15% in some seasons. There is currently no consensus on the most effective dietary treatment strategy for children with moderate AM (MAM). Twelve health centers in rural Mali were randomly assigned to provide children with MAM (defined as mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) 70% NCHS reference median) 1 of 4 dietary regimens: 1) lipid-based, ready-to-use supplementary food (Supplementary Plumpy, SP); 2) special corn soy blend for MAM (CSB++); 3) locally processed, fortified food (Misola, MI); or 4) locally milled flours (millet and cowpea) plus oil, sugar and micronutrient powder (HFM). 1264 non-edematous children aged 6-35 months with MAM were offered ~500 kcal/d of assigned diet in addition to their usual food intake for 12 weeks. Hemoglobin (Hb) was measured in 1154 children, and plasma ferritin and transferrin receptor were measured in a subset of 452 children. 1178 children (93.2%) completed the study and attendance at weekly/bi-weekly follow-up visits was >85% in all groups. The adjusted mean (95% CI) change in weight in kg from baseline was greater with SP and CSB++ than other regimens (1.16 (1.08, 1.24), 1.04 (0.96, 1.13), 0.91 (0.82, 0.99), 0.83 (0.74, 0.92) for the respective study groups, p-2.0, MUAC> 12.5cm) was higher with SP than the three other regimens (73%, 68%, 61%, 58% respectively, p less than O.OOO1). Total cost per treatment based on median time to recovery was $2.20 for SP,$1.43 for CSB++, $1.83 for MI and$1.65 for HFM. Anemia rates remained high (>81 %) in all groups after treatment. SP generally provided greater improvement in iron status compared to MI while CSB++ and HFM had intermediate effects. SP was more effective than other dietary regimens for the treatment of MAM and improvement of iron status; however, the benefits must be considered in relation to product costs and availability

Producing life on the streets of Accra, Ghana: Young women, urban space and agency

In many countries there is a broad discourse at the policy level that portrays youth who live on the streets of cities as victims or criminals who need immediate rehabilitation (Hecht, 1998; Kovats-Bernat, 2006; Rurevo, 2003; Scheper-Hughes, 1998). This study challenges this widely held understanding and examines the ways in which young women living on the urban street space in Accra, Ghana\u27s capital city, produce and create life in this space. I draw on anthropological and sociological conceptualizations of agency and also of space, power, gender and youth to provide an account of these young women\u27s lives.^ Drawing on 20 months of ethnographic fieldwork, the study explores the question: How are young women producing life on the streets of Accra, Ghana\u27s capital city? I begin the study on the premise that the urban space in which these young women find themselves is not some inert physical space and should be taken seriously as a unit of analysis. In investigating the ways in which they produce life on the street, I look critically at the street space — as a space of work, as a space of violence, as a space of motherhood and finally as a space of transition. Throughout the chapters, I show that the structure of the street space influences the ways in which young women act, and young women\u27s actions are also based on present survival on the street and their narrations of their future. I show how through work, motherhood and violence these women actively work to create and produce life in spite of the constraints they face on a daily basis.^ This study makes theoretical contributions to the way in which young women on the street are studied by providing a more complicated analysis of their lives, which is situated at the intersection of agency, power, space, gender and youth. An understanding of the complexity of young women\u27s lives on the street provides stakeholders interested in intervening in the lives of street girls a framework which offers insights for designing effective programs that will pay particular attention to these complex lives.

Producing life on the streets of Accra, Ghana: Young women, urban space and agency

In many countries there is a broad discourse at the policy level that portrays youth who live on the streets of cities as victims or criminals who need immediate rehabilitation (Hecht, 1998; Kovats-Bernat, 2006; Rurevo, 2003; Scheper-Hughes, 1998). This study challenges this widely held understanding and examines the ways in which young women living on the urban street space in Accra, Ghana\u27s capital city, produce and create life in this space. I draw on anthropological and sociological conceptualizations of agency and also of space, power, gender and youth to provide an account of these young women\u27s lives.^ Drawing on 20 months of ethnographic fieldwork, the study explores the question: How are young women producing life on the streets of Accra, Ghana\u27s capital city? I begin the study on the premise that the urban space in which these young women find themselves is not some inert physical space and should be taken seriously as a unit of analysis. In investigating the ways in which they produce life on the street, I look critically at the street space — as a space of work, as a space of violence, as a space of motherhood and finally as a space of transition. Throughout the chapters, I show that the structure of the street space influences the ways in which young women act, and young women\u27s actions are also based on present survival on the street and their narrations of their future. I show how through work, motherhood and violence these women actively work to create and produce life in spite of the constraints they face on a daily basis.^ This study makes theoretical contributions to the way in which young women on the street are studied by providing a more complicated analysis of their lives, which is situated at the intersection of agency, power, space, gender and youth. An understanding of the complexity of young women\u27s lives on the street provides stakeholders interested in intervening in the lives of street girls a framework which offers insights for designing effective programs that will pay particular attention to these complex lives.

Association Between Nutrition Social Behavior Change Communication and Improved Caregiver Health and Nutrition Knowledge and Practices in Rural Tanzania

Background: Efforts to improve infant and young child feeding practices include the use of nutrition behavior change communication among caregivers of children under 5 years. We assessed the association between monthly participation in community-level nutrition group meetings on caregiver health and nutrition knowledge and practices (KPs). Methods: Data from a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted in the Eastern and Southern Highland Zones of Tanzania were used. Indices were developed for caregivers' knowledge of nutrition, health and childcare, household (HDD) and young child dietary diversity (CDD), and vitamin A (VA) intakes. The comparison of means and proportions was assessed using Student's t-test and the Chi-square test, respectively, between the caregivers participating in nutrition group meetings and non-participants. The impact of the number of nutrition meeting attendance on caregiver KPs scores was examined using multiple regression. Results: Of 547 caregivers surveyed, 49.7% attended nutrition group meetings and received information on nutrition social behavior change communication (SBCC). Overall, 28% of participating women had a moderate level of nutrition knowledge, 62% had a high level of VA knowledge, and 57% had a high level of health and childcare knowledge. Participation in nutrition group meetings was significantly associated with the health and childcare knowledge score (HKS), HDD and CDD scores, and household and young child VA intake; the magnitude of the associations was greater for caregivers who attended at least four meetings. Conclusion: The findings emphasize the need for programs that seek to address the issues present in the use of nutrition SBCC at the community level to improve maternal or caregiver KPs and subsequently the nutrition status of infants and young children