Assessing the role of cash transfer programmes in reducing the risk of acute malnutrition in Somalia

Conditions

Child undernutrition Nutritional, Metabolic, Endocrine Child undernutrition

Carlos S. Grijalva‐Eternod, Mohamed Jelle, Hassan Haghparast‐Bidgoli, Tim Colbourn, Kate Golden et al. (11 authors)

PLoS Medicine2018-10-2947 citations

10.1371/journal.pmed.1002684

The REFANI-S study protocol: a non-randomised cluster controlled trial to assess the role of an unconditional cash transfer, a non-food item kit, and free piped water in reducing the risk of acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months living in camps for internally displaced persons in the Afgooye corridor, Somalia.

Jelle M, Grijalva-Eternod CS, Haghparast-Bidgoli H, King S, Cox CL, Skordis-Worrall J, Morrison J, Colbourn T, Fottrell E, Seal AJ.

2017-07-069 citations

10.1186/s12889-017-4550-y

Interventions

This study involves cash transfers to households classified as in need of humanitarian assistance. The Concern unconditional cash transfer (UCT) programme that will be received by the beneficiaries in

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. The geographical inclusion criteria is camps for internally displaced people within the Afgooye Corridor area of peri-urban Mogadishu 2. Within this geographical area camps that have been previously targeted for inclusion within the Concern Worldwide humanitarian cash transfer programme will be eligible for inclusion in the study. A selection of camps form adjacent areas, that are not targeted for cash transfers, will also be selected for inclusion in the study as control/comparison clusters 3. Within clusters, a sample of households will be randomly selected for inclusion in the baseline and end-line surveys. Within these selected households, two groups of individuals will be exhaustively sampled: children aged 6-59 months and women aged 15-49 years 4. Children from all households within the clusters will be included in the nutrition surveillance part of the study, which will involve monthly nutritional assessment using MUAC

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Children with a disability that prevents taking weight or height measures 2. Children with a medical condition that prevents them eating a normal diet 3. Children confined to bed due to illness 4. Children living in a household in which the mother/carer is unable to respond to questions due to a speech or hearing impairment

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Individual diet diversity scores of children aged 6-59 months, measured during the baseline survey and during end-line survey after 3 months of intervention 2. Incidence of acute malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months (defined as a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 12.5 cm and/or nutritional oedema), measured over 6 months of follow-up following the start of the intervention	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Prevalence of global acute malnutrition (weight-for-height <-2 z scores (WHO 2006 growth standards) and/or nutritional oedema) in children 6-59 months 2. Mean weight-for-height (WHO 2006 growth standards) in children 6-59 months 3. Household expenditure 4. Household Dietary Diversity Score (24 hour recall) 5. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale score (one month recall) 6. Coping Strategies Index (7 day recall) 7. Access to water and sanitation 8. Infant and Young Child Feeding practices in the under twos 9. Two week retrospective morbidity 10. Treatment sought and received 11. Mean Maternal MUAC 12. Mean Maternal BMI All measured during the baseline survey before the intervention begins and during the end-line survey after 3 months of intervention.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Prevalence of global acute malnutrition (weight-for-height <-2 z scores (WHO 2006 growth standards) and/or nutritional oedema) in children 6-59 months 2. Mean weight-for-height (WHO 2006 growth standards) in children 6-59 months 3. Household expenditure 4. Household Dietary Diversity Score (24 hour recall) 5. Household Food Insecurity Access Scale score (one month recall) 6. Coping Strategies Index (7 day recall) 7. Access to water and sanitation 8. Infant and Young Child Feeding practices in the under twos 9. Two week retrospective morbidity 10. Treatment sought and received 11. Mean Maternal MUAC 12. Mean Maternal BMI All measured during the baseline survey before the intervention begins and during the end-line survey after 3 months of intervention.

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Countries

Somalia

Contacts

Public ContactAndrew Seal

Outcome results

None listed