Association between Malaria Infection and Early Childhood Development Mediated by Anemia in Rural Kenya
Milner, Erin M., Patricia Kariger, Amy J. Pickering, et al. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 17, February 2020
- Early Childhood Development
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under 5 years and anemia is a well known morbidity resulting from malaria infection. This study in western Kenya found malaria infection significantly increased odds of risk for delays in gross motor, communication, and social-emotional development. Anemia was a significant mediator on the path between malaria infection and poor child development; however, the total effect of anemia was small (it explained only 9-16 percent of the risk), indicating the need for more research to understand the pathways between milder malaria infection and child development outcomes.
Association between Maternal Haemoglobin Concentrations and Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes: the Prospective, Observational, Multinational, INTERBIO-21st Fetal Study
Ohuma, Eric O., Nesrat Jabin, Melissa F. Young, et al. The Lancet Hematology, June 2023
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
Findings suggest an association between maternal hemoglobin and maternal and neonatal outcomes. Using an optimal range of hemoglobin concentrations throughout pregnancy may produce clinical and public health benefits.
Associations Among Early Stimulation, Stunting, and Child Development in Four Countries in the East Asia–Pacific
Rao, Nirmala, Ben Richards, Carrie Lau, et al. International Journal of Early Childhood, August 2020
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
Research in four countries found positive correlations between child development and preschool attendance, preschool duration, and home learning activities among non-stunted and stunted children. This article is behind a paywall.
Associations Between Dimensions of Empowerment and Nutritional Status Among Married Adolescent Girls in East Africa: A Structural Equation Modelling Study
Riddle, Alison Y., Wenshan Li, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, et al. BMC Public Health, February 2023
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
This research examines how investments in girls’ economic empowerment and access to information may contribute to their overall empowerment and nutritional status, while greater autonomy may contribute to increased consumption of unhealthy foods. More qualitative and longitudinal research and better quality data on adolescent empowerment and health, including age-, sex- and gender-appropriate empowerment measures, are vital.
Associations between Exclusive Breastfeeding Duration and Children's Developmental Outcomes: Evidence from Siaya County, Kenya
Onyango, Silas, Elizabeth Kimani-Murage, Patricia Kitsao-Wekulo, et al. PLOS One, March 2022
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
Exclusive breastfeeding in the 3- to 6-month age range has significant positive associations with child development, especially for communication, gross motor skills, and problem solving.
Associations between Women’s Empowerment and Child Development, Growth, and Nurturing Care Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Demographic and Health Survey Data
Bliznashka, Lilia, Ifeyinwa E. Udo, Christopher R. Sudfeld, et al. PLOS Medicine, September 2021
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
There is a strong association between women’s empowerment and early child cognitive development, child growth, early learning, and nutrition outcomes. Authors call for future research to explore the relationship between empowerment and socioemotional, literacy–numeracy, or physical development.
Attitudes and Perceptions about Breastfeeding Among Female and Male Informal Workers in India and South Africa
Horwood, C., A. Surie, L. Haskins, et al. BMC Public Health, June 2020
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Most women surveyed understood the benefits of breastfeeding and initiated breastfeeding, but household responsibilities and financial obligations frequently forced an early return to work. This led to changes in infant feeding practices, including adding breast milk substitutes. Men viewed breastfeeding as beneficial for mother and child, but reported that it was culturally unacceptable for women to breastfeed in public.
The Availability and Geographic Location of Open-Source Food Composition Data Used to Estimate Micronutrient Intakes in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review
de la Revilla, Lucia Segovia, Elaine L. Ferguson, Claire Dooley, et al. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, July 2023
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Identifying and reporting geographic information in publicly available food composition tables and databases and accommodating spatially resolved food composition data requires new data structures and improved metadata.
Baby Friendly Spaces: An Intervention for Pregnant and Lactating Women and Their Infants in Cameroon
Dozio, Elizabeth, K. Le Roch, C. Bizouerne. Intervention, 18:78-84, January 2020
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
The Baby Friendly Spaces program provides workshops focusing on improving maternal mental health, infant and young child feeding practices, early child stimulation, and parenting skills in the context of complex humanitarian emergencies. Researchers found statistically significant changes in psychosocial suffering among pregnant and lactating women, perceived social support, breastfeeding practices, and mother-child relationships.
Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Training Course for Maternity Staff
World Health Organization, The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), August 2020
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Reports and Tools
Many health workers lack training to support women to establish and sustain breastfeeding. This resource provides guidance for leaders to plan a course and select trainers and participants. The trainer's guide contains slides and other materials to facilitate the course, while the participant manual provides worksheets, checklists, and job aids.
Barriers and Facilitators to Growth Monitoring and Promotion in Nepal: Household, Health Worker and Female Community Health Volunteer Perceptions
Pollifrone, Madeline M., Kenda Cunningham, Pooja Pandey Rana, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition, July 2020
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Growth assessment, analysis of growth status, and counseling are important factors in measuring growth monitoring and promotion (GMP). Research finds that providers and beneficiaries view GMP as secondary to curative services. Distance, long lines, and crying children hinder engagement, while provider knowledge, skills, and training are barriers. Community‐ and home‐based interventions with trained and supervised community‐based providers may be superior to facility‐based options.
Basis for Changes in the Disease Burden Estimates Related to Vitamin A and Zinc Deficiencies in the 2017 and 2019 Global Burden of Disease Studies
Hess, Sonja Y., Alexander C. McLain, Haley Lescinsky, et al. Public Health Nutrition, December 2021
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
Changes in the estimated disease burdens due to vitamin A and zinc deficiencies from 2017 to 2019 are primarily due to changes in analytical methods employed in the Global Burden of Disease studies; as a result, they may not represent true changes in disease burden.
Behavior Profile: Continued Breastfeeding
The Manoff Group, n.d.
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Reports and Tools
This tool provides a framework for identifying individual, social, and structural factors that support or hinder continued breastfeeding through age two. Acknowledging the importance of external forces on continued breastfeeding, the tool guides the identification of supportive actions required by policymakers and others and facilitates thinking about possible program strategies.
Behavioral Barriers to Feeding Young Children During and After Illness
USAID Advancing Nutrition, Breakthrough ACTION, September 2022
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Reports and Tools
Behavioral factors can impede optimal complementary feeding—during and after illness. Findings point to how programs can equip community- and facility-based health workers with tools, messages, and other resources to guide and encourage families to feed children appropriately during illness and recovery.
Behavioral Design to Inform Social and Behavior Change for Nutrition
Breakthrough ACTION +RESEARCH, August 2023
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Reports and Tools
This e-learning course offers a practical introduction to behavioral science and behavioral design and explains how to apply these approaches to nutrition efforts. A case study illustrates the behavioral design process and guides participants to assess whether and how the solutions presented can be adapted to other contexts.
Behavioral Insights into Micronutrient Powder Use for Childhood Anemia in Arequipa, Peru
Brewer, Jessica D., Julianna Shinnick, Karina Román, et al. Global Health: Science and Practice, December 2020
Research Articles
Barriers to using micronutrient powder (MNP) include previous experiences with health care providers, inconvenient access to MNP, and the absence of reminders to provide MNP. Providing culturally relevant messaging and encouraging changes to feeding routines can lower barriers. Health care provider training should encourage positive interpersonal interactions when initiating MNP. The abstract is available in Spanish.
Behavioral Solutions for Child Feeding Before and After Illness
USAID Advancing Nutrition, Breakthrough ACTION, September 2022
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Reports and Tools
Behavioral design guided the development of solutions that support families to continue feeding their young children during periods of illness and more food in the two weeks following an illness. Solutions also provide community- and facility-based health workers with resources and approaches to support families.
Behaviors for Better Complementary Feeding: A Recipe for Success! Webinar
USAID Advancing Nutrition, August 2023
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Events
Speakers summarize best practices and lessons learned about how to manage the complexity of complementary feeding through a multi-sectoral, behavior-centered approach. The webinar is available in English and French.
Benefits of Small-Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements for Child Nutrition and Survival Warrant Moving to Scale
Nature Food, February 2023
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Reports and Tools
Small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements are a highly cost-effective intervention to reduce relative risk of mortality, severe wasting and stunting, iron deficiency anemia, and developmental delay between 6 and 23 months of age. Such supplements should be considered an essential nutrition intervention but should be integrated into other interventions to improve child survival, nutrition, and development. This resource is behind a paywall.
Best Practices for Conducting a Remote Data Quality Assessment
Infectious Disease Society of America, November 2021
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Reports and Tools
Using a remote data quality assessment approach facilitates routine monitoring in emergency settings or when travel is not possible. Remote approaches also protect the health and safety of service providers, government staff, data collectors, and supervisors.
Beyond Stunting: Complementary Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluating USAID Nutrition Activities
USAID Advancing Nutrition, September 2021
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Reports and Tools
Recent literature has critically examined the use of stunting as an indicator for evaluating the impact of nutrition interventions. The guidance document suggests approaches and indicators to measure the results of nutrition programs in a comprehensive and meaningful way.
Biases in Self-Reported Food Insecurity Measurement: A List Experiment Approach
Tadesse, Getaw, Gashaw T. Abate, Tadiwos Zewdie. Journal of Food Policy, March 2020
- Food Systems
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
Challenges surrounding the impact evaluations of food security programs include issues with both objective and subjective measurements. Exploring the role of bias, researchers compared direct responses to food insecurity questions to indirect responses using a list experiment approach. The results from the data collected in two districts in northern Ethiopia showed that biases have led to false conclusions about the Ethiopian Household Asset Building program. The authors discuss possible options and precautionary actions that can mitigate the issues related to measuring food insecurity using self-reported questions.
Biology of Anemia: A Public Health Perspective
Brittenham, Gary M., Gemma Moir-Meyer, Kelvin Mokaya Abuga, et al. The Journal of Nutrition, September 2023
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
Authors share advances in understanding common causes of anemia, their interactions, and the roles of infections and inflammation as causes. They discuss the coincidence between regions with a high prevalence of anemia attributed to iron deficiency, those with endemic infections, and those with widespread genetic conditions affecting red blood cells.
Birth & Beyond iOS App
Global Health Media, June 2020
- Early Childhood Development
Reports and Tools
The Birth & Beyond app provides easy access to videos for mothers and other caregivers that focus on birth, breastfeeding, newborn care, small baby care, and complementary feeding. Videos are currently available in 21 languages and can be streamed or downloaded to an offline library. The app is free for download, works with iPhones, and its Android version is in development.