Effects of nutrition counselling and unconditional cash transfer on child growth and family food security in internally displaced person camps in Somalia
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN12032821 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12032821 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | Nil known |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | Nil known |
| Protocol serial number | Nil known |
| Sponsor | Save the Children International |
| Funders | Global Affairs Canada, Federal Foreign Office (FFO) – Berlin |
- Submission date
- 09/02/2022
- Registration date
- 25/03/2022
- Last edited
- 25/03/2022
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
In Somalia child malnutrition is common. Malnutrition is a lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat, not eating enough of the right things, or being unable to use the food that one does eat.
Caregivers have little knowledge and practices on infant and child nutrition. Humanitarian and government institutions are trying interventions to reduce child malnutrition. This study aims to improve child malnutrition through providing nutrition counselling and cash to caregivers of young children.
Who can participate?
Caregivers with children aged six months up to five years who had mild or moderate malnutrition.
What does the study involve?
Participants were randomly allocated to receive nutrition counselling (NC) alone or in combination with unconditional cash transfer UCT (NC+UCT). These were compared with a control group that have not received neither of the interventions.
Participants received NC during one-to-two hour weekly NC sessions for 12 weeks. Each counselling session was attended by 20-22 caregivers. Eight trained community nutrition volunteers (CNVs) provided all of the sessions.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The benefits including improvement of child malnutrition and families food security. There are no known risks.
Where is the study run from?
Save the Children International, Somalia Country Office
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
November 2016 to February 2019
Who is funding the study?
Global Affairs Canada
Federal Foreign Office (FFO) – Berlin (Germany)
Who is the main contact?
Mohamed Khalid Ali, mki@du.se
Contact information
Principal investigator
Shariqa Road
Garowe
-
Somalia
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-0119-5394 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +252 907791671 |
| mki@du.se |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Interventional randomized controlled trial |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Effects of nutrition counselling and unconditional cash transfer on child growth and family food security in internally displaced person camps in Somalia – A quasi-experimental study |
| Study acronym | Nil known |
| Study objectives | Unconditional cash transfer coupled with nutrition counselling improves nutrition in children under-five |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 27/01/2018, Research and Ethics Review Committee of the Federal Ministry of Health (Ministry of Health, Somalia; +252 612375800; hashi4@hotmail.com), ref: MoH & HS/DGO/0129 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Child malnutrition |
| Intervention | The intervention consisted of nutrition counselling (NC) alone or in combination with unconditional cash transfer UCT (NC+UCT) on caregivers with under-five children. These were compared with a control group that have not received neither of the interventions. The NC sessions were based on the UNICEF/WHO IYCF guidelines. Participants received NC during one-to-two hour weekly NC sessions for 12 weeks. Each counselling session was attended by 20-22 caregivers. Eight trained community nutrition volunteers (CNVs) provided all of the sessions. The CNVs had undergone training provided by Save the Children and had previously conducted counselling sessions and nutrition assessments. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Wasting measured using WHZ at baseline and follow up (19 months) |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. WAZ (underweight) measured at baseline and follow up (19 months) |
| Completion date | 28/02/2019 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | |
|---|---|
| Age group | Mixed |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 1341 |
| Total final enrolment | 255 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Caregivers with children aged six months to five years who had mild or moderate malnutrition. |
| Key exclusion criteria | Caregivers having children with severe acute malnutrition (WHZ < -3) and apparent health problems were excluded and referred to the nearest health facility for further screening and treatment. |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/07/2017 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/07/2017 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Somalia
Study participating centre
Mogadishu
-
Somalia
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are/will be available upon request from the corresponding author Mr. Mohamed Kalid, mki@du.se. Consent was obtained from the patient, data will be anonymized |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
21/02/2022: Trial's existence confirmed by Research and Ethics Review Committee of the Federal Ministry of Health, Somalia
