Canned Herring for Prevention of Childhood Malnutrition During the Early Rainy Season in Rural Guinea-Bissau

Effectiveness of Canned Herring for Prevention of Childhood Malnutrition During the Early Rainy Season in Rural Guinea-Bissau

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT02496247

Enrollment

1200

Registered

2015-07-14

Start date

2015-05-31

Completion date

2015-08-31

Last updated

2016-02-11

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

Conditions

Malnutrition, Undernutrition

Keywords

malnutrition, undernutrition, Z-score, Guinea-Bissau, food aid

Brief summary

This study will test the effectiveness of a weekly village distribution of canned herring for prevention of malnutrition in children aged 2-5 years old during a food-insecure time of the year in rural villages in Guinea-Bissau. The study will use community health workers to conduct the herring distribution, making this a test that will provide valuable information on what could become a practical food aid supplementation practice. The primary study hypothesis is that distribution of canned herring as a weekly food supplement to families with young children at the beginning of the rainy season will prevent a seasonal decrease in weight-for-age Z-score (primary variable) of children with mild to moderate malnutrition at baseline.

Interventions

OTHERCanned Herring

Families with children in this study arm will receive a weekly ration of herring throughout the 8-10 week study period (2 cans herring/day per study child).

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

2 Years to 5 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Village leaders willing to allow the study to take place in their village * Village must have community health workers who are willing to do the weekly distribution of herring to enrolled families and are able to keep the necessary records documenting the distribution. * Children age 2-5 currently living in a selected village * Parents willing to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

* There are no eligibility exclusions for this study. * If a child is identified with severe malnutrition at the baseline measurement, the family will be advised to take the child for treatment rather than participate in the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Change from Baseline in weight-for-age Z-score	baseline, 8-10 weeks

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
height-for-age Z-score	baseline, 8-10 weeks	—
mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement	baseline, 8-10 weeks	measurement of circumference of the mid upper arm
weight	baseline, 8-10 weeks	—
height	baseline, 8-10 weeks	—

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026