ABSTRACT
Background:The massive use of technology can be leveraged to facilitate access to growth and development programs for children. Existing programs supporting such initiatives for children younger than three years are inadequate and not accessible to most families. In most cases, primary caregivers are unable to identify delayed milestones in their children’s growth and development due to inadequate information. They therefore often report the cases when they have become very severe and difficult to reverse. In order topromote early identification of possible developmental delays, African Population and Health Research Center together with Val Partners will develop, implement and evaluate the use of mobile phone technology to help caregivers track their children's developmental outcomes.Methods:The study will employ a quasi-experimental design and will use a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies. In one arm, 110 caregivers will be trained on the use of a mobile phone application to assess child growth and development. The other arm, with 110 caregivers, will receive standard care provided by community health volunteers. Child developmental outcomes will be assessed in both arms. Feasibility of the intervention will be assessed qualitatively. Performance data will be compared across the two arms using mixed linear models to assess the effect of the intervention on child development.Conclusions: The findings are expected to provide evidence on whether the intervention is feasible and has an effect on child developmental outcomes. The results will inform the scalability and sustainability of the project.Trial Registration: The trial has been registered with the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (www.pactr.org) database (ID number: PACTR201905787868050)
ABSTRACT
Background:Investing in parents and children during the critical period between birth and five years of a child‟s life can have long-lasting benefits in the life of the child. Recently, the 2016 Lancet Series estimated that 250 million children aged less than five years in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential. Over 66 % of these, who live in sub-Saharan Africa and are at risk due to poor nutrition, exposure to poverty, high HIV prevalence as well as under stimulation in the home environment. Methods:The study will employ a cluster-randomized control trial design and will use a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies (Concurrent Triangulation Design).This will be a two-arm study, where the first arm will participatein the parenting empowerment program implemented by the faith-based organizations, while the second (control) will not receive the parenting interventions. A total of 510 mother/primary caregiver-child dyads will be recruited into this study. We will estimate the causal effect of the intervention using mixed linear models and the Difference-in-Differences (DID) estimator.Conclusions: This implementation research will provide greater scientific rigor and a deeper process and outcome evaluation including measurement of child development outcomes. The findings will be useful for early childhood practitioners, multilateral stakeholders and funders as they provide information on the factors to consider in the implementation of high quality ECD interventions.Trial Registration:Ethical approval: ESRC P467/2018 and IRB No.00005948)