TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevention of malnutrition among young children in rural Bangladesh by a food-health-care educational intervention
T2 - A randomized, controlled trial
AU - Roy, Swapan Kumar
AU - Jolly, Saira Parveen
AU - Shafique, Sohana
AU - Fuchs, George J.
AU - Mahmud, Zeba
AU - Chakraborty, Barnali
AU - Roy, Suchismita
PY - 2007/12
Y1 - 2007/12
N2 - Background. As a result of inappropriate feeding, poor health and hygiene, and poor caring practices, the nutritional status of many young infants deteriorates with advancing age. Objective. To explore the effectiveness of a nutrition education package to prevent malnutrition among young children. Methods. A community-based, randomized, controlled trial was conducted among 605 normal and mildly malnourished children aged 6 to 9 months in 121 Community Nutrition Centers (CNCs) of the Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project (BINP) in four regions of Bangladeshftom 2000 to 2002. The intervention group received weekly nutrition education based on the nutrition triangle concept of UNICEF for 6 months, whereas the control group received regular BINP services. Both groups were observed for a further 6 months to assess the sustainability of the effects. Information on socioeconomic status, feeding patterns, morbidity and anthropometric features was collected. Results. A significant increase in the frequency of complementary feeding was observed in the intervention group as compared with the control group, and the increase was sustained throughout the observation period. The intervention group had a higher weight gain than the control group after the end of the intervention (0.86 vs. 0.77kg, p=0.053) and after the end of the observation period (1.81 vs. 1.39 kg, p < .001). The proportion of normal and mildly malnourished children was greater in the intervention group than in the control group after the end of the observations (88.9% vs. 61.5%, p < .001). Nutrition education successfully prevented malnutrition in all the areas. Variation in the outcome of nutrition education among the regions was observed, Conclusions. This culturally appropriate nutrition education package based on the nutrition triangle model effectively prevented growth faltering and malnutrition among young children.
AB - Background. As a result of inappropriate feeding, poor health and hygiene, and poor caring practices, the nutritional status of many young infants deteriorates with advancing age. Objective. To explore the effectiveness of a nutrition education package to prevent malnutrition among young children. Methods. A community-based, randomized, controlled trial was conducted among 605 normal and mildly malnourished children aged 6 to 9 months in 121 Community Nutrition Centers (CNCs) of the Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project (BINP) in four regions of Bangladeshftom 2000 to 2002. The intervention group received weekly nutrition education based on the nutrition triangle concept of UNICEF for 6 months, whereas the control group received regular BINP services. Both groups were observed for a further 6 months to assess the sustainability of the effects. Information on socioeconomic status, feeding patterns, morbidity and anthropometric features was collected. Results. A significant increase in the frequency of complementary feeding was observed in the intervention group as compared with the control group, and the increase was sustained throughout the observation period. The intervention group had a higher weight gain than the control group after the end of the intervention (0.86 vs. 0.77kg, p=0.053) and after the end of the observation period (1.81 vs. 1.39 kg, p < .001). The proportion of normal and mildly malnourished children was greater in the intervention group than in the control group after the end of the observations (88.9% vs. 61.5%, p < .001). Nutrition education successfully prevented malnutrition in all the areas. Variation in the outcome of nutrition education among the regions was observed, Conclusions. This culturally appropriate nutrition education package based on the nutrition triangle model effectively prevented growth faltering and malnutrition among young children.
KW - Bangladesh
KW - Child growth
KW - Complementary feeding
KW - Infants
KW - Malnutrition
KW - Nutrition education
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U2 - 10.1177/156482650702800401
DO - 10.1177/156482650702800401
M3 - Article
C2 - 18274163
AN - SCOPUS:38549113514
SN - 0379-5721
VL - 28
SP - 375
EP - 383
JO - Food and Nutrition Bulletin
JF - Food and Nutrition Bulletin
IS - 4
ER -
