Journal Article

Effect of Micronutrient Concentration on the Growth of Children in Central Rural Highland of Ethiopia: Cluster Randomized Trial

Lema, Tefera Belachew, Wordofa, Muluemebet Abera, Hailemiriam, Abebe Ferede

2022

Overview

The objective of study designed to concur whether micronutrient concentration change reduces the high burden of growth defect of young children age 6 to 59 after nutrition behavior exertions end in Central highland Ethiopia. We used a cluster parallel, non-inferiority randomized control trial. “Kebeles” [lower administrations] selected from central highland districts randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control cluster. At the baseline survey, 1012 children aged 6-59 months and paired mothers were selected from randomly assigned kebeles using a systematic sampling method. The intervention cluster was appointed to exploit nutrition behavior intervention through 15 months. The baseline and end-line data contained median urine iodine, hemoglobin, anthropometry, and other variables analyzed using independent t-test and Generalized Estimate Equation (GEE) using SPSS version 21 software. At the end-line, about 715 study participants completed the nutrition Behavior Change Communication (BCC) intervention. A very high (42.1%) prevalent growth defect observed at baseline and reduced to high level (28.67%) at the end-line. Baseline iodine concentration by 0.69 cm (B=0.69, P < 0.05) and end-line by 0.271 cm (B=0.271, P < 0.05) somewhat increased average end-line height compared to iron concentration. The difference of height (Ht) baseline – end-line between intervention and control group was 0.51 cm. Being in the intervention cluster increased Ht by 10.8 cm (beta [β] = 10.8, standard error [SE] = 1.023) than other predictors of growth of children. This community-based study implied the need for efforts to improve the linear growth of children at an early age through inspiring nutrition behavior.