Illustrative Behaviors to Improve Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture
USAID Advancing Nutrition, June 2023
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Reports and Tools
The tool identifies evidence-based nutrition-sensitive behaviors across the food system that support the design of more effective approaches to improve nutrition outcomes. It is available in English and French.
The Impact of Climate Change on Children's Nutritional Status in Coastal Bangladesh
Hanifi, S.M. Manzoor Ahmed, Nidhiya Menon, Agnes Quisumbing. Social Science & Medicine, February 2022
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Research Articles
Excess heat at birth had negative effects on the nutritional status of very young children, while humidity had positive effects on children's mid-upper arm circumference. Explanations include consequences of weather fluctuations on the extent of pasture, cropland, and rain-fed lands planted with rice and other crops, and on mother's age at first marriage. This article is behind a paywall.
The Impact of Climate Change on Food Safety and Implications for Development Programming
Agrilinks, November 2022
- Food Systems
Reports and Tools
Designing climate-resilient food safety programs requires identifying which climate phenomena are most likely to become prominent. It also requires assessing regional changes in foodborne hazard occurrence and transport, changes in behaviors and practices to cope with climate impacts on food safety, and food system resilience through a food safety lens.
The Impact of Climate Change on Food Systems, Diet Quality, Nutrition, and Health Outcomes: A Narrative Review
Owino, Victor, Chiza Kumwenda, Beatrice Ekesa, et al. Frontiers in Climate, August 2022
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Sustainable, resilient food systems and climate-smart agriculture are needed to ensure diverse, nutritious diets. Researchers and practitioners need robust tools and indicators to measure how food systems-climate change interactions, especially in the context of COVID-19, impact human health.
Impact of Ethiopia’s 2015 Drought on Child Undernutrition
Hirvonen, Kalle, Thomas Pave Sohnesen, and Tom Bundervoet. World Development, Vol. 131, July 2020.
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Research Articles
Following Ethiopia’s catastrophic drought in 2015, experts thought there would be a significant impact on child malnutrition. Although the authors of this study did not find direct evidence to support this claim, they did find that rates of chronic malnutrition were higher in drought- affected areas with a limited road network and, therefore, more barriers to markets and humanitarian actors. The study suggests that recent investments in road networks in Ethiopia may have strengthened resilience for future droughts.
Impact Evaluation of a Community Nutrition and Livelihood Program on Child Nutrition in Rural Bangladesh
Kang, Yunhee, Indira Prihartono, Md. Iqbal Hossain, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition, December 2022
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Adding an economic development component to the Positive Deviant/Hearth program significantly increases income and dietary diversity among young children and mothers, promotes household food security, and diversifies crop production.
Impact Evaluation of the SHARPE Programme in Ethiopia: Academic Report
Centre of Excellence for Development Impact and Learning, March 2023
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Reports and Tools
Robust markets for digital financial services are emerging, but the lowest enrollment rates have been among women and refugees. A randomized trial of the Strengthening Host and Refugee Populations program in Ethiopia encouraged high-volume customers to refer other customers and receive a small bonus for doing so, leading to increased enrollment generally but not among women and refugees. A second trial provided inactive customers with small incentives to start using the system, leading to increased use among women but not among refugees.
The Impact of Food Insecurity on Women and Girls: Research from Pibor and Akobo Counties, Jonglei State, South Sudan
Lukolo, Kenyi Henry Yuggi, Iulia Andreea Toma, Oxfam, May 2022
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Reports and Tools
Acute food insecurity has impacted women and girls in many ways. Collecting firewood to sell has increased the risk of gender-based violence and robbery, while girls’ school attendance has decreased due to increased workload and more forced and early marriages. Women have lost significant control of productive resources and household decision-making. Health and nutrition programs should focus on vulnerable female-headed households and build knowledge, skills, and capacity for nutrition-sensitive livelihood support.
The Impact of Maternal Supplementation During Pregnancy and the First 6 Months Postpartum on the Growth Status of the Next Child Born After the Intervention Period: Follow‐Up Results from Bangladesh and Ghana
Adams, Katherine P., Seth Adu-Afarwuah, Malay K. Mridha, et al. Maternal & Child Nutrition, February 2020
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Pregnancy and breastfeeding lower a mother’s nutrient stores, potentially affecting her nutritional status upon conceiving another child. This article evaluates the benefits of nutrition interventions during previous pregnancy and the postpartum period as a way to improve the growth of a subsequent child, specifically through supplementing lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS), multiple micronutrients (MMN), and iron plus folic acid (IFA). It concludes that LNS and MMN supplementation during pregnancy did not improve the growth of a subsequent child beyond the effects of IFA alone, while also noting that more research is needed regarding preconception supplementation.
Impact of Nutrient Supplementation on Maternal Nutrition and Child Growth and Development in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Case of Small‐Quantity Lipid‐Based Nutrient Supplements
Adu-Afarwuah, Seth. Maternal & Child Nutrition, December 2020
Research Articles
Small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements, given alone or as part of an intervention package, improved infant and child growth in most, but not all, clinical trials reviewed. Supplementation may have greater impact if programs also address underlying factors that contribute to growth faltering.
The Impact of Nutritional Interventions on Child Health and Cognitive Development
Boomer, Christian, Nitya Mittal, Sebastian Vollmer. The Annual Review of Resource Economics, April 2020
- Early Childhood Development
- Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Research Articles
While promising interventions exist to improve nutritional intake, addressing malnutrition requires multifactorial approaches. For interventions to successfully transform into large-scale policy programs, research must focus on maximizing compliance and sustainability. This article is behind a paywall.
Impact on Child Acute Malnutrition of Integrating a Preventive Nutrition Package into Facility-Based Screening for Acute Malnutrition during Well-Baby Consultation: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in Burkina Faso
Becquey, E., L. Huybregts, A. Zongrone, et al. PLoS Medicine. Vol. 16 No. 8. August 2019
- Nutrition and Health Systems
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
Community management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) is an effective approach for treating acute malnutrition (AM), but low (50 percent) screening levels for AM impede effectiveness of CMAM. Scaling up screening coverage to 90 percent of acutely malnourished children could save 435,000 lives per year. In this cluster-randomized control trial in Burkina Faso, researchers studied the impact of behavior change communication preventative packages and the use of small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements on screening rates. Findings showed that these interventions increased participation in monthly AM screening, thus overcoming a major impediment to CMAM effectiveness.
Impact of Scaling up Prenatal Nutrition Interventions on Human Capital Outcomes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Modeling Analysis
Perumal, Nandita, Mia M. Blakstad, Günther Fink, et al. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2021
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
Scaling up prenatal nutrition interventions in low- and middle-income countries from current levels to 90 percent may lead to substantial gains in schooling and lifetime income. Decision-makers should consider potential long-term human capital returns on investments in maternal nutrition.
Impact of Zinc and Iron Agronomic Biofortification on Grain Mineral Concentration of Finger Millet Varieties as Affected by Location and Slope
Teklu, Demeke, Dawd Gashu, Edward J. M. Joy, et al. Frontiers in Nutrition, May 2023
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Adding zinc and iron to soil is a promising strategy to enhance the concentration of zinc and iron in finger millet grain and combat micronutrient deficiencies. Additional research is essential to assess the social acceptability of agronomically biofortified food, feasibility of applying mineral blended fertilizers, bioaccessibility and bioavailability of biofortified crops, and contamination risks to the environment.
Impacts of a Social and Behavior Change Communication Program Implemented at Scale on Infant and Young Feeding Practices in Nigeria: Results of a Cluster-Randomized Evaluation
Flax, Valerie L., Mariam Fagbemi, Courtney H. Schnefke, et al. PLOS One, December 2022
- Social and Behavior Change and Gender
Research Articles
Results showed weak impacts of the Alive & Thrive social and behavior change communication intervention on early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, and minimum dietary diversity in Nigeria, but spillover of the intervention to the comparison group may have muted the results. Substantial in-group increases in infant and young child feeding practices from baseline to endline were likely due to the intervention.
Impacts of Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods on the Maternal-Child Health: A Systematic Review
de Oliveira, Priscilla Gomes, Juliana Morais de Sousa, Débora Gabriela Fernandes Assunção, et al. Frontiers in Nutrition, May 2022
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Consuming large quantities of ultra-processed food had negative impacts on women’s health during pregnancy and lactation as well as on children’s health, including overweight, inadequate dietary practices, and lower nutritional quality of the diet. Ultra-processed food also impacted lipid profiles, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, tooth decay, respiratory diseases, and toxicity from ingesting packaging plastic.
Impacts of COVID-19 on Childhood Malnutrition and Nutrition-Related Mortality
Headey, Derek, Rebecca Heidkamp, Saskia Osendarp, et al. The Lancet, July 2020
- Nutrition in Humanitarian Contexts
Research Articles
Authors expect COVID-19 to exacerbate all forms of malnutrition, and estimate that people facing acute food insecurity will nearly double to 265 million this year. Analyses suggest that even short lockdown measures—combined with severe mobility disruptions and moderate food systems disruptions in low- and-middle income countries—will lead to an average 8% per capita decrease in gross national income, 6.7 million more young children experiencing wasting, and 128,605 more deaths among young children in 2020.
Implementation and Scale-Up of Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of What Works, What Doesn't Work and Why
Di Prima, Sabina, E. Pamela Wright, Indu K. Sharma, et al. Global Food Security, March 2022
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Priorities to enhance the success of nutrition-sensitive agriculture programs in reducing undernutrition include ensuring appropriateness and acceptability based on context knowledge; strengthening local structures and community empowerment; increasing resilience; and ensuring project flexibility, supportive policy, and governance.
Implementation and Scale-Up of Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of What Works, What Doesn't Work, and Why
Di Prima, Sabina, E. Pamela Wright, Indu K. Sharma, et al. Global Food Security, March 2022
- Food Systems
Research Articles
Key areas for attention to enhance the success of nutrition-sensitive agriculture programs include learning from past successes and failures, strengthening local structures, and empowering communities and building resilience. Ensuring appropriateness and acceptability based on context knowledge, maintaining flexibility to address design limitations and unforeseen barriers, and developing supportive policy and governance are also important factors.
The Implementation Science System Toolkit
The Society for Implementation of Science in Nutrition, January 2022
- Knowledge Management
Reports and Tools
The toolkit guides users to apply implementation science in nutrition work. Materials focus on assessing bottlenecks, completing bottleneck and solution inventories, undertaking implementation research, and understanding knowledge brokering. A webinar accompanies the toolkit.
Implementation of UNICEF and WHO's Care for Child Development Package: Lessons from a Global Review and Key Informant Interviews
Ahun, Marilyn N., Frances Aboud, Claire Wamboldt, et al. Frontiers in Public Health, February 2023
- Early Childhood Development
Research Articles
Respondents in this study report mixed experiences using the Care for Child Development (CCD) package with respect to adaptation, training, supervision, integration into existing services, and monitoring fidelity and quality. Authors stress the importance of learning more about how to improve effectiveness, implementation fidelity and quality, and CCD acceptance and provide scaling recommendations.
Implementing a Novel Facility-Community Intervention for Strengthening Integration of Infant Nutrition and Family Planning in Mara and Kagera, Tanzania
Cooper, Chelsea M., Mary Drake, Justine A. Kavle, et al. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, April 2021
Research Articles
A multifaceted intervention to integrate maternal and infant nutrition and postpartum family planning (FP) into existing health contacts increased FP and early breastfeeding (EBF) at six weeks postpartum, demonstrated that lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) was acceptable, provided an entry point for important FP conversations, and reinforced EBF practices.
Implementing Integrated and Inclusive Nurturing Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
RTI International, May 2023
- Early Childhood Development
Events
Early childhood development (ECD) experts discuss challenges and opportunities working on integrated, inclusive nurturing care-based programs. The USAID Children in Adversity team leader discusses the government's approach to supporting ECD. This is a webinar.
Implementing Two National Responsibilities of the Revised UNICEF/WHO Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative: A Two-Country Case Study
Mukuria-Ashe, Altrena, Alyssa Klein, Charlotte Block, et al. Maternal and Child Nutrition, September 2022
- Nutrition and Health Systems
Research Articles
To institutionalize the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, systematic coordination, effective communication about national policies and plans, performance monitoring, and multi-sectoral advocacy to secure national and local commitment and funding are all important. Technical assistance should support hospital practices, procedures, and management and strive to understand provider and health system motivations.