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Selling Sprinkles as part of a health products package may reduce fever and diarrhea incidence but not respiratory illness in preschool children in western Kenya
Author(s) -
Grant Frederick Kobina Ebo,
Martorell Reynaldo,
Ayala-Flores Rafael,
Cole Conrad R.,
Ramakrishnan Usha,
Laird Ruth J.,
Patel Minal,
Juliao Patricia C.,
Quick Rob,
Suchdev Parminder S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.392.4
Subject(s) - diarrhea , medicine , incidence (geometry) , relative risk , pediatrics , cohort , cohort study , confidence interval , physics , optics
Background Supplementation with zinc and vitamin A has been associated with reduced duration and severity of diarrhea and respiratory illness in children. Objective We measured the association of community‐based sales of Sprinkles with incidence of diarrhea, fever and cough in children 6–59mo. Design This was a cluster‐randomized, longitudinal cohort trial in 60 villages for the first 9mo (July 2007–March 2008), and expansion of access to Sprinkles to both study groups in the second 9mo (July 2008–March 2009). Thus, in addition to the experimental analyses using the first year's data, an as‐treated analysis to compare users and non‐users of Sprinkles across all 60 villages using all available data was carried out. The incidence of diarrhea, cough, and fever were compared between children who used Sprinkles and those who did not. Results Of the 1079 children enrolled, 78% (n=847) had data on Sprinkles use. Analyses using the experimental design (July 2007–March 2008) suggested null effects on diarrhea and cough. However, children in the intervention villages had 32% reduced fever (relative risk, RR=0.68; 95% CI=0.62, 0.74). Use of Sprinkles was associated with about 30% reduction in diarrhea (RR=0.71; 95% CI=0.55, 0.93) and 18% reduction in fever (RR=0.82; 95% CI=0.72, 0.95). Conclusion Sale of Sprinkles may reduce fever and diarrhea incidence among children 6–59mo in western Kenya. Grant Funding Source : NEVIN SCRIMSHAW INTERNATIONAL NUTRITION FOUNDATION