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

Abstract

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.