Abstract
Balanced energy protein (BEP) supplementation for pregnant and lactating women in low‐ and middle‐income countries is a promising strategy to improve birth outcomes and child growth. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the acceptability of new formulations of two fortified BEP supplements, a lipid‐based peanut paste and a vanilla biscuit, among 80 pregnant women in rural Burkina Faso, prior to an efficacy trial. A 10‐week individually randomized cross‐over study was designed, in which women received a weekly supply of each supplement for 4 weeks, and a daily choice between the supplements in the last 2 weeks. Questionnaires to assess daily consumption and supplement acceptability (n = 80) and home observations (n = 20) were combined with focus group discussions (n = 6) and in‐depth interviews with women (n = 80) and stakeholders (n = 24). Results showed that the two supplements were well accepted. Quantitative findings indicated high compliance (>99.6%) and high overall appreciation (Likert score >6 out of 7) of both supplements. The assessment of preferred choice in Weeks 9 and 10 indicated a slight preference for the vanilla biscuit. Qualitative findings indicated that perceived health benefits, support from household members and educational messages from health professionals were important drivers for acceptance and compliance. Sharing was not often reported but was identified during interviews as a possible risk. We recommend that future studies use a combination of methods to identify appropriate food supplements and context‐specific factors that influence acceptability, compliance and subsequent impact of nutritious food supplements.
Highlights
Low birth weight (LBW) and small-for-gestational age (SGA) affect an estimated 20 to 30 million infants every year (Katz et al, 2013; Lee et al, 2013)
It is well known that poor maternal nutritional status can contribute to this restricted foetal growth and is a major problem in many low-income countries (Cetin, Mando, & Calabrese, 2013; da Silva Lopes et al, 2017; Gernand, Schulze, Stewart, West, & Christian, 2016)
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends balanced energy protein (BEP) dietary supplementation during pregnancy in undernourished populations to reduce the risk of stillbirths and SGA newborns (WHO, 2016)
Summary
Low birth weight (LBW) and small-for-gestational age (SGA) affect an estimated 20 to 30 million infants every year (Katz et al, 2013; Lee et al, 2013). Recent studies have demonstrated a positive effect of BEP supplements in pregnant women on birth outcomes, authors highlight the limited amount of available evidence and the need to evaluate the effect of this balanced supplement by large, well-designed randomized trials (Imdad & Bhutta, 2012; Ota, Hori, Mori, Tobe-Gai, & Farrar, 2015; Stevens et al, 2015). Such studies will help to generate more robust evidence on the impact to guide recommendations and decision making. The study is a randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of a fortified BEP supplement for pregnant and lactating women on birth and child health outcomes (ClinicalTrials Identifier: NCT03533712)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
