Menu ENN Search

Cash-based intervention and risk of acute malnutrition among children in internally displaced persons camps in Somalia

Research snapshot1

Cash-based interventions (CBI) have been used in Somalia since 2011, a country with one of the highest prevalences of acute child malnutrition in the world. A non-randomised cluster trial in internally displaced person (IDP) camps in peri-urban Mogadishu was undertaken to understand whether a CBI would reduce acute malnutrition and its risk factors. Ten IDP camps (clusters) were selected for the CBI, comprising a monthly unconditional cash transfer of US$84 for five months, one-off distribution of non-food item kits and provision of free piped water. Ten adjacent clusters were selected as controls. Primary outcomes were mean child dietary diversity score (CDDS) collected from children aged 6-59 months and their primary carers (155 intervention; 177 control) from randomly selected households (household cohort) and incidence of first episode of acute malnutrition, defined as mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) < 12.5cm and/or oedema, collected from an exhaustive sample of children aged 6-59 months (759 intervention; 1,379 control) (child cohort).

In the household cohort, the CBI appeared to increase CDDS by 0.53 (95% CI 0.01; 1.05). In the child cohort, the acute malnutrition incidence rate (cases/100 child-months) was 0.77 (95% CI 0.70; 1.21) and 0.92 (95% CI 0.53; 1.14) in intervention and control arms respectively. The CBI did not appear to reduce the risk of acute malnutrition: unadjusted hazard ratio 0.83 (95% CI 0.48; 1.42) and hazard ratio adjusted for age and sex 0.94 (95% CI 0.51; 1.74). The CBI appeared to increase the monthly household expenditure by US$29.60 (95% CI 3.51; 55.68), increase household food consumption score (FCS) by 14.8 (95% CI 4.83; 24.8), and decrease the reduced coping strategies index (RCSI) by 11.6 (95% CI 17.5; 5.96).

The authors conclude that CBI appeared to improve beneficiaries’ wealth and food security but did not appear to reduce acute malnutrition risk in IDP camp children. Study limitations were that the trial was not randomised, the household cohort sample size was small, no other anthropometric measurements were taken due to insecurity in the field, and no food market data was available to aid interpretation of results. 

Read more...

Endnote

1Grijalva-Eternod CS, Jelle M, Haghparast-Bidgoli H, Colbourn T, Golden K, King S, et al. (2018) A cash-based intervention and the risk of acute malnutrition in children aged 6–59 months living in internally displaced persons camps in Mogadishu, Somalia: A non-randomised cluster trial. PLoS Med 15(10): e1002684. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002684

More like this

FEX: Effect of short-term RUTF distribution on children in Niger

Summary of published research1 Mothers and children arriving for their monthly surveillance visits, as part of the trial Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health...

FEX: Effect of adding RUSF to ageneral food distribution on child nutritional status and morbidity: a cluster randomised controlled trial

Summary of research1 Child during appetite test at a health facility offering treatment in Monrovia, Liberia The authors of a recent study hypothesized that including a daily...

FEX: Upcoming research shared at ACF research conference

At the ACF research conference, November 6th, 2016, experiences were shared from a number of studies where final results will be made available in 2017. A snapshot of what to...

FEX: Impact on birth weight and child growth of women’s groups with and without transfers of food or cash during pregnancy in Nepal

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 While the links between undernutrition in pregnancy and birth outcomes have long been established, understanding of the...

FEX: Effect of a community-led sanitation intervention on child diarrhoea and child growth in rural Mali

Summary of research1 Location: Mali What we know: Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is being scaled up, but there is limited evidence on child health impacts. What this...

FEX: Antibiotics as part of the management of severe acute malnutrition

Summary of published research1 Mothers receive instruction on how to adminster antibiotics Location: Malawi What we know already: There is a high prevalence of clinically...

FEX: Follow-up of post-discharge growth and mortality after treatment for SAM in Malawi

Summary of research1 Location: Malawi What we know: There are limited data on long term outcomes following discharge from SAM treatment; what exists is largely pre-HIV....

FEX: Effectiveness of food supplements in increasing fat-free tissue accretion in children with moderate acute malnutrition in Burkina Faso

Summary of research1 Location: Burkina Faso What we know: There is no consensus on the effectiveness of lipid-nutrient supplement (LNS) compared to corn-soy blend (CSB) in...

FEX: Gender impact analysis of unconditional cash transfers in south central Somalia

Summary of published research1 A woman tiedyes clothing Location: Somalia What we know already: Cash transfer programming can positively impact on nutrition and food...

FEX: Impact on child acute malnutrition of integrating small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements into community-level screening for acute malnutrition in Mali

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 The impact of community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) is often limited by low coverage of screening for acute...

FEX: Piloting LQAS in Somaliland

By Tom Oguta, Grainne Moloney and Louise Masese Tom Oguta has been working with FAO/FSAU in the Nutrition Surveillance Project in Somalia as a Nutrition Project Officer for...

FEX: Impact on child acute malnutrition of integrating a preventative nutrition package into facility-based screening for acute malnutrition in Burkina Faso

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 The impact of community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) is often limited by low coverage of screening for acute...

FEX: Infant Feeding Patterns and Risk of Death

Summary of published paper1 Current WHO guidelines recommend that HIV positive mothers should avoid breastfeeding only if replacement feeding is acceptable, feasible,...

FEX: Supportive supervision to improve the quality and outcome of outpatient care among malnourished children in Uganda

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 Suboptimal quality of paediatric care has been reported in resource-limited settings, but little evidence exists on...

FEX: Impact of child support grant in South Africa on child nutrition

Summary of research* Location: South Africa What we know: Stunting is an indicator of chronic undernutrition and is often linked to poverty-related factors. There is mixed...

FEX: TreatFOOD study in Burkina Faso

Summary of presentation1 of published research2 View this article as a pdf By Susan Shepherd Dr Susan Shepherd is Director of Clinical and Operational Research for...

en-net: Concern Worldwide is looking for a Consultant Nutrition Advisor in Pakistan

Terms of Reference Consultant Nutrition Advisor March - April 2011 Background Concern has been responding to the urgent humanitarian needs of flood affected population in...

FEX: Effect of mass supplementation with RUSF during an anticipated nutritional emergency

Summary of published research1 A woman and her dauguher receive RUSF distribution in Niger Location: Niger What we know already: Ready to Use Supplementary Foods (RUSF) are...

FEX: Efficacy of three feeding regimens for home-based management of children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition

Summary of research Bhandari N, Mohan SB, Bose A, et al. Efficacy of three feeding regimens for home-based management of children with uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition:...

FEX: Study of the Risk Factors for the Development of Nutritional Oedema in North Kivu, DRC

By Mark Myatt and Frances Mason Mark Myatt is a consultant epidemiologist and senior research fellow at the Division of Epidemiology, Institute of Opthalmology, University...

Close

Reference this page

Cash-based intervention and risk of acute malnutrition among children in internally displaced persons camps in Somalia. Field Exchange 59, January 2019. p16. www.ennonline.net/fex/59/cashinterventionsomalia

(ENN_6243)

Close

Download to a citation manager

The below files can be imported into your preferred reference management tool, most tools will allow you to manually import the RIS file. Endnote may required a specific filter file to be used.