Cooking and pneumonia study

An advanced cookstove intervention to prevent pneumonia in children under 5 years old in Malawi: a cluster randomised controlled trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN59448623

Enrollment

150

Registered

2013-07-03

Start date

2013-12-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2017-02-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pneumonia Respiratory Pneumonia

Interventions

The Philips fan assisted stove with user training (replacing open fires). The Philips stove is an advanced cookstove technology that incorporates a fan to improve combustion efficiency and substantial

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Children up to 4.5 years old

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Refusal to participate

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Primary outcome measure as of 01/07/2016: Pneumonia episode rate is measured using the WHO IMCI pneumonia assessment protocol from baseline to two years follow up. Original primary outcome measure: Pneumonia in children under 5 years of age will be diagnosed by physicians, medical officers or other appropriately trained staff at local healthcare facilities, blinded to intervention allocation. The WHO IMCI pneumonia assessment protocol will be used to make the diagnosis since chest X-rays are not universally available in the study areas. Briefly, pneumonia is diagnosed using the IMCI protocol by the presence of cough or difficult breathing and signs of pneumonia - fast breathing (60, 50 or 40 breaths per minute or more in those <2 months, 2-12 months and 1-5 years respectively), chest in-drawing, stridor or any general danger sign (inability to drink or breastfeed, vomiting, convulsions, being lethargic or unconscious). Severe IMCI pneumonia is identified by the presence of any general danger sign, chest wall in-drawing or stridor in a calm child. Pneumonia episodes will be recorded over the full 2 years of follow up.	—

Measure

Time frame

Primary outcome measure as of 01/07/2016: Pneumonia episode rate is measured using the WHO IMCI pneumonia assessment protocol from baseline to two years follow up. Original primary outcome measure: Pneumonia in children under 5 years of age will be diagnosed by physicians, medical officers or other appropriately trained staff at local healthcare facilities, blinded to intervention allocation. The WHO IMCI pneumonia assessment protocol will be used to make the diagnosis since chest X-rays are not universally available in the study areas. Briefly, pneumonia is diagnosed using the IMCI protocol by the presence of cough or difficult breathing and signs of pneumonia - fast breathing (60, 50 or 40 breaths per minute or more in those <2 months, 2-12 months and 1-5 years respectively), chest in-drawing, stridor or any general danger sign (inability to drink or breastfeed, vomiting, convulsions, being lethargic or unconscious). Severe IMCI pneumonia is identified by the presence of any general danger sign, chest wall in-drawing or stridor in a calm child. Pneumonia episodes will be recorded over the full 2 years of follow up.

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Secondary outcome measures as of 01/07/2016: 1. Severe pneumonia rate is measured using the WHO IMCI pneumonia assessment protocol from baseline to two years follow up, oxygen saturation <90% and death from pneumonia 2. Death rate is measured through our serious adverse event reporting system supplemented by verbal autopsy when possible 3. Respiratory symptoms are measured using a questionnaire at 3 monthly follow up visits 4. Burns are measured using a questionnaire at 3 monthly follow up visits. Where burns meet seriousness criteria these are reported through our serious adverse event reporting system 5. Household air pollution is measured using a combination of questionnaire and air pollution monitoring assessments at various time points 6. Personal exposure to pollution is measured using a combination of questionnaire and air pollution monitoring assessments at various time points 7. Cookstove use is measured using a questionnaire at 3 monthly follow up visits with Stove Use Monitors as well in a sub set of households 8. Economic and health service evaluations are conducted using a range of economic and qualitative research methods Original secondary outcome measure: Severe pneumonia and death in children under 5 years of age. We will also assess respiratory symptoms and burns, household air pollution and personal exposure, measure cookstove use and conduct economic and health service evaluations.	—

Measure

Time frame

Secondary outcome measures as of 01/07/2016: 1. Severe pneumonia rate is measured using the WHO IMCI pneumonia assessment protocol from baseline to two years follow up, oxygen saturation <90% and death from pneumonia 2. Death rate is measured through our serious adverse event reporting system supplemented by verbal autopsy when possible 3. Respiratory symptoms are measured using a questionnaire at 3 monthly follow up visits 4. Burns are measured using a questionnaire at 3 monthly follow up visits. Where burns meet seriousness criteria these are reported through our serious adverse event reporting system 5. Household air pollution is measured using a combination of questionnaire and air pollution monitoring assessments at various time points 6. Personal exposure to pollution is measured using a combination of questionnaire and air pollution monitoring assessments at various time points 7. Cookstove use is measured using a questionnaire at 3 monthly follow up visits with Stove Use Monitors as well in a sub set of households 8. Economic and health service evaluations are conducted using a range of economic and qualitative research methods Original secondary outcome measure: Severe pneumonia and death in children under 5 years of age. We will also assess respiratory symptoms and burns, household air pollution and personal exposure, measure cookstove use and conduct economic and health service evaluations.

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Countries

Malawi

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Mar 11, 2026