Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Children: the impact of linking community kitchens to a school food program on women's economics, food security and mental health
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN34880574 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN34880574 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | A 102829 -P 22047 |
- Submission date
- 24/09/2018
- Registration date
- 22/10/2018
- Last edited
- 25/04/2022
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Food insecurity threatens dietary diversity, nutritional status and physical, mental and social health of vulnerable populations. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are protracted refugees with fragile livelihoods, high rates of poverty and food insecurity. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of participating in the Healthy Kitchens program on women’s economic, social and food security outcomes.
Who can participate?
Adult women living in two Palestinian camps in Beirut
What does the study involve?
Two Healthy Kitchens will be established in existing community-based organisations in Palestinian camps. These are set up as small business enterprises, using participatory approaches to develop recipes and train women in food preparation, food safety and entrepreneurship. The kitchens will employ 32 women on a rotating basis to provide daily healthy meals to children attending local primary schools. The research project studies the effect of participating in the healthy kitchens program on women’s economic, social and food security outcomes.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Women who participate in the community kitchens will likely benefit from increased income generated through the sale of food at schools. Minimal risk is anticipated in this study. There is a minimal risk of injury to women during work in the community kitchens; however, this risk is not above the normal risks that women are exposed to by working in their homes, and kitchen safety is be covered in training sessions.
Where is the study run from?
Center for Research on Population and Health at the American University of Beirut (Lebanon)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2013 to December 2017
Who is funding the study?
The Nestle Foundation for the Study of Problems of Nutrition in the World (Switzerland)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Hala Ghattas
hg15@aub.edu.lb
Contact information
Scientific
American University of Beirut
POBox 11-0236/EPHD, Riad El Solh
Beirut
1107 2020
Lebanon
Study information
| Study design | Interventional non-randomised study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Study setting(s) | Community |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please contact Hala Ghattas (hg15@aub.edu.lb) to request a participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Children: a community-based intervention linking community kitchens to a school food program - the Healthy Kitchens component |
| Study acronym | Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Children - Women's study (HKHC-W) |
| Study objectives | This study aimed to investigate the effect of a two-pronged intervention that employed women through social enterprises (Healthy Kitchens) to deliver a subsidised healthy daily school meal to elementary schoolchildren in Palestinian camps (Healthy Children). We hypothesised that women who participated in the Healthy Kitchens component of the intervention would have improved economic status, food security and mental health. |
| Ethics approval(s) | 1. American University of Beirut Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (AUB SBS IRB), 20/12/2013, ref: FHS.HG.01 / FHS.HG.02 2. University of Maryland Institutional Review Board (UMD IRB), 02/12/2013, ref:535188-1 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Women's livelihoods, empowerment and mental health |
| Intervention | This study, Healthy Kitchens, is a component of a wider study called Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Children. The Healthy Kitchens component is designed as a pre-/post-intervention, where women were recruited to work in a community kitchen by community based organisations. Women were asked to cook daily school meals in two community kitchens. These meals form the snack provided to the intervention group in the Healthy Schools component. Data were collected at the baseline and the end of the study (month 9). |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | Women's livelihoods and economic empowerment at the baseline and after 9 months using: 1. A household expenditure questionnaire, adapted from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) 2. A women's empowerment questionnaire, adapted from the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) |
| Secondary outcome measures | The following are assessed at the baseline and after 9 months (unless otherwise stated): 1. Household food security, assessed using the Arab Family Food Security Scale 2. Mental health, assessed using the Mental Health Inventory - 5 (MHI-5) 3. Women's experience of participating in the intervention, assessed using open-ended questions at the end of the study (9 months) |
| Overall study start date | 01/09/2013 |
| Completion date | 01/12/2017 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Target number of participants | 40 |
| Total final enrolment | 32 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Female 2. Aged over 18 years 3. Living in one of two Palestinian camps in Lebanon (Bourj el Barajneh and Shatila) 4. Willing and physically able to work from 7.30am - 12.30pm |
| Key exclusion criteria | Does not meet inclusion criteria |
| Date of first enrolment | 04/06/2014 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/05/2016 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Lebanon
Study participating centre
American University of Beirut
Bliss Street
Hamra
Beirut
1107 2020
Lebanon
Sponsor information
Research organisation
Place de la Gare 4 - PO Box 581
Lausanne
CH-1001
Switzerland
| Website | http://www.nestlefoundation.org/e/about.html |
|---|---|
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/021k07d19 |
Funders
Funder type
Research organisation
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 01/01/2019 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not expected to be made available |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Data and results of the study have been presented at four conferences; some resulting in published abstracts. Conference proceedings: Ghattas H, Jamaluddine Z, Choufani J, Reese-Masterson A, Sahyoun NR. A Community-Based Intervention Improves Economic, Social and Food Security Outcomes of Palestinian Refugee Women and Diet Diversity of Palestinian Schoolchildren in Lebanon - The Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Children Experience. Abstract from the Lancet Palestinian Health Alliance Conference on “The Health of Palestinians Inside and Outside the Occupied Palestinian Territory”, Beirut, March 2018 (oral presentation). Ghattas H. Assessing and engaging deprived communities; Food security and empowerment. Presentation at CRPH conference “No one left behind; A feasible goal for the health-related Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab region?”, Beirut, June 2017 (oral presentation). Ghattas H, Jamaluddine Z, Choufani J, Btaiche R, Reese-Masterson A, Sahyoun NR. A Community-Based Intervention Improves Economic, Social and Food Security Outcomes of Refugee Women-The Healthy Kitchens Experience. The FASEB Journal. 2017;31(1 Supplement):313-6. Abstract from Experimental Biology, Chicago, April 2017 (oral presentation). We intend to publish two papers: 1. Presenting the protocol and process evaluation of the intervention 2. Presenting the outcomes of the Healthy Kitchens (women's component) of the study |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not expected to be made available due to the fact that studies were conducted with vulnerable refugee populations, and data transfer agreements with the collaborating organisations restrict our ability to share these data with third parties. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract results | results presented at Experimental Biology, Chicago, | 03/10/2018 | No | No | |
| Results article | 29/11/2019 | 25/04/2022 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
25/04/2022: The following changes have been made:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The final enrolment number has been added from the reference.
02/11/2018: Internal review.
