Scaling up Small-Scale Food Processing to Promote Food Security Among Women Farmers in Rural Vietnam

National Institute of Nutrition, Vietnam

Status: Completed

Conditions: Anemia; Wasting; Stunting; Food Insecurity; Underweight

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03847662

CIFSRF 108124

Details and patient eligibility

About

This repeated measures, cluster randomized, cohort trial design was carried out in three provinces in the northern mountainous area of Vietnam. Communes here were randomly selected for community based interventions with local production complimentary foods and marketing and distribution of fortified complimentary foods.

Full description

In rural northern Vietnam, childhood stunting rates are high. In Lào Cai province, female subsistence farmers grow crops, but face barriers sending produce to markets. The present intervention purchases local crops from local women subsistence farmers which are processed in local small-scale food processing facilities to produce instant fortified complementary foods for weaning.

Methods: A repeated measures survey was conducted from October to November 2016, with Caregiver-Child(<2y) pairs (n=800) in the provinces of Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Ha Giang. Anthropometric data of mother/child dyads was assessed and logistic regression analysis of stunted and underweight children explored associated factors. These included: core infant and young child feeding practices indicators, food insecurity, antenatal care check-ups, core water/sanitation, anemia and hygiene indicators.

This project leveraged the experience of the National Institute of Nutrition of Vietnam to ensure HACCP standards during manufacture. Locally grown rice was combined with a Zn/Fe premix before extrusion and hammer-milling. Local vegetables such as: "Sweet leaf" (Sauropus androgynous), pumpkin, Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) and carrots were made into complimentary foods and sold locally.

Enrollment: 799 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 6 months to 2 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Child participants must be younger than 2y at baseline.
• Caregivers must volunteer and were required to give informed written consent

Exclusion criteria

• Free from oedema
• Free from physical and mental disabilities
• Free from memory disorders and/or mental illness

Trial design

799 participants in 1 patient group

Community Based Production and Access of Complimentary Foods

Description:

Nine communes were randomly selected with the cluster inclusion criteria as having high levels of; agricultural production, childhood under-nutrition and food security. This was carried out in the three rural mountainous provinces of Lao Cai, Lai Chau, and Ha Giang. In each of these provinces, one district and three subsequent communes were selected, for a total of 9 communes. The districts of Bat Xat, Tam Duong, and Vi Xuyen were selected in Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Ha Giang province respectively. This second stage district sampling selected sites with similar characteristic of population density, area, number of women of reproductive age(15-35y), percentage of children(<2y), income primarily from agricultural production, poverty and climate data. Changes were observed on food security and nutritional status with exposure to community based self reported purchasing local agricultural products and access to locally produced fortified complimentary foods.