Alive & Thrive Nigeria Impact Evaluation
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
Investigators will use a cluster-randomized design to evaluate the overall impact of the Alive & Thrive infant and young child feeding communication strategies in Lagos and Kaduna States, Nigeria. The impact in each state and in a subset of urban local government areas (LGAs) will also be tested.This is a mixed methods evaluation; the quantitative data will be complemented by qualitative data obtained from different groups targeted by or involved in the program.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Detailed Description
Adequate nutrition during the first 1,000 days is necessary for children to grow and develop to their full potential. Alive & Thrive (A&T) contributes to better nutrition during the first 1,000 days by promoting improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. A&T is expanding its efforts to Nigeria and will target Lagos and Kaduna States. In Nigeria, 33% of infants are breastfed within 1 hour of delivery, 60% are given other fluids in the first 3 days of life, and only 17% of children 0-5.9 months are exclusively breastfed. Approximately 60% of children 6 to 23 months achieve the minimum meal frequency for their age and 19% are fed four or more food groups per day. To address these gaps in optimal IYCF practices, A&T will use an implementation framework for IYCF impact at scale that includes advocacy, interpersonal communication and community mobilization, mass communication, and strategic use of data. The A&T intervention will be compared to mass media communication on IYCF, which will be provided throughout the two states. LGAs in Lagos and Kaduna will be randomly allocated such that two-thirds receive the A&T intervention and one-third are assigned to the comparison group. The primary objectives of the evaluation are to measure the impact of the A&T intervention on IYCF practices among mothers with children 0-23 months of age overall, in each state, and in a subset of urban LGAs. Secondary evaluation objectives are to document: the type, quantity, and timing of the implementation of A&T program activities; coverage levels A&T achieves with different program activities; extent to which A&T increases knowledge and awareness of optimal IYCF practices among women with children 0 to 23 months and health providers; extent to which A&T improves the capacity of health providers to counsel mothers on IYCF; and extent to which A&T improves the capacity of stakeholders to implement community-based activities that support optimal IYCF practices.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: A&T IYCF intervention A&T IYCF intervention is includes comprehensive IYCF counseling which includes intensive activity that aims to deliver one-on-one counseling at home or in a health facility. |
Behavioral: A&T IYCF intervention
(1) Interpersonal communication through frontline workers/volunteers to increase mothers' knowledge and practice of optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) behaviors. Interpersonal communication will involve multiple contacts with mothers and an array of IYCF messages; (2) Community mobilization activities to raise awareness of the benefits of optimal IYCF practices among opinion leaders and family members, and increase their support to mother for IYCF; (3) Training of facility and community-based health workers on IYCF to improve their ability to support mothers and provide timely information on IYCF; and (4) Mass media communication on IYCF.
|
| No Intervention: Control No intervention. |
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Exclusive breastfeeding on the day preceding the interview. [2 years]
The proportion of infants 0-5 months who were exclusively breastfed on the previous day.
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Exclusive breastfeeding from 0-5 months. [2 years]
The proportion of children who were exclusively breastfed from 0-5 months.
- Breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth. [2 years]
The proportion of children 0-23 months who were breastfed within 1 hour of birth.
- Minimum dietary diversity. [2 years]
The proportion of children 6-23 months who were fed the minimum number of food groups on the previous day based on the WHO infant and young child feeding guidelines.
- Minimum meal frequency. [2 years]
Description: The proportion of children 6-23 months who were fed the minimum number of meals on the previous day based on the World Health Organization infant and young child feeding guidelines.
- Mothers' accurate knowledge of optimal infant and young child feeding practices. [2 years]
Mothers' accurate knowledge of: Optimal timing of breastfeeding initiation Optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding Solution to common breastfeeding problems Optimal timing to introduce complementary foods Optimal dietary diversity and frequency of complementary feeding from 6-23 months
- Health providers' knowledge of optimal infant and young child feeding practices. [2 years]
Providers' accurate knowledge of: Optimal timing of breastfeeding initiation Optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding Solution to common breastfeeding problems Optimal timing to introduce complementary foods Optimal dietary diversity and frequency of complementary feeding from 6-23 months
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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For mother's survey:
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Women of reproductive age (15-49 years),
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Must be married if 15-17 years,
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Has a child 0-23 months
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For provider's survey:
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Male or female,
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18 years or older
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Works in a government or private health facility or works as a community pharmacist, private patent medicine vendor, or traditional birth attendant
Exclusion Criteria:
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kantar TNS RMS | Ikeja | Lagos | Nigeria | |
| 2 | Kantar TNS RMS | Kaduna | Nigeria |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- RTI International
- FHI 360
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- TNS RMS Nigeria, Ltd.
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Valerie Flax, RTI International
- Principal Investigator: Mariam Fagbemi, TNS RMS Nigeria, Ltd.
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- 08100206