Maternal nutrition is closely linked to child health and survival. In Bangladesh there is a high ... more Maternal nutrition is closely linked to child health and survival. In Bangladesh there is a high prevalence of undernutrition in the form of chronic energy deficiency [CED, Body Mass Index <18.5 ...
Quality of life scores of health conditions are needed for measuring quality adjusted life years ... more Quality of life scores of health conditions are needed for measuring quality adjusted life years (QALY), the most common outcome measure in cost-utility analysis. To measure QALY scores we used EQ-5D and a visual analogue scales (VIS). EQ-5D is a standardised instrument for measuring quality of life using five dimensions applicable to a wide range of health conditions. VAS had the endpoints "full health" and "death". We assessed the scores for chronic energy deficiency (CED) characterised by low body mass index (BMI < 18.5), a condition highly prevalent among rural Bangladeshi women. EuroQol (EQ)-5D and VAS were used to measure when the condition was worst and VAS measured the current health status. We interviewed 285 pregnant and postpartum women, with 236 (83%) having complete information. Mean scores for CED when perceived to be most severe were 0.30 (EQ-5D, interquartile range −0.02 to 0.52) and 0.27 (visual analogue scale, interquartile range 0.12-0.39) in scales with scores ranging from −0.54 to 1.00 and from 0 to 1.00, respectively. The mean score for current health status derived from the visual analogue scale was 0.49 (95% CI for mean 0.45-0.52) in a scale with scores ranging from 0 to 1.00. Rural Bangladeshi women attached very low quality of life scores to CED. The scores are comparable to scores attached to severe debilitating conditions like cancer in western countries. If considered in the global perspective, prevention of chronic energy deficiency among women in developing countries should be given high priority.
Absence of cost-effectiveness (CE) analyses limits the relevance of large-scale nutrition interve... more Absence of cost-effectiveness (CE) analyses limits the relevance of large-scale nutrition interventions in low-income countries. We analyzed if the effect of invitation to food supplementation early in pregnancy combined with multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) on infant survival represented value for money compared to invitation to food supplementation at usual time in pregnancy combined with iron-folic acid. Outcome data, infant mortality (IM) rates, came from MINIMat trial (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab, ISRCTN16581394). In MINIMat, women were randomized to early (E around 9 weeks of pregnancy) or usual invitation (U around 20 weeks) to food supplementation and daily doses of 30 mg, or 60 mg iron with 400 μgm of folic acid, or MMS with 15 micronutrients including 30 mg iron and 400 μgm of folic acid. In MINIMat, EMMS significantly reduced IM compared to UFe60F (U plus 60 mg iron 400 μgm Folic acid). We present incremental CE ratios for incrementing UFe6...
Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventio... more Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. Methods: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 μgm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and ≥6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. Results: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P=0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with ≥6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m 2) at week 8 pregnancy. Conclusions: The combination of an early invitation to prenatal food supplementation and multiple micronutrient supplementation lowered mortality in children before the age of five years and reduced the gap in child survival chances between social groups. The pattern of adherence to the supplementations was complex; women with less education adhered more to food supplementation while those with more education had higher adherence to micronutrients. Trial registration: ISRCTN16581394.
Maternal nutrition is closely linked to child health and survival. In Bangladesh there is a high ... more Maternal nutrition is closely linked to child health and survival. In Bangladesh there is a high prevalence of undernutrition in the form of chronic energy deficiency [CED, Body Mass Index <18.5 ...
Quality of life scores of health conditions are needed for measuring quality adjusted life years ... more Quality of life scores of health conditions are needed for measuring quality adjusted life years (QALY), the most common outcome measure in cost-utility analysis. To measure QALY scores we used EQ-5D and a visual analogue scales (VIS). EQ-5D is a standardised instrument for measuring quality of life using five dimensions applicable to a wide range of health conditions. VAS had the endpoints "full health" and "death". We assessed the scores for chronic energy deficiency (CED) characterised by low body mass index (BMI < 18.5), a condition highly prevalent among rural Bangladeshi women. EuroQol (EQ)-5D and VAS were used to measure when the condition was worst and VAS measured the current health status. We interviewed 285 pregnant and postpartum women, with 236 (83%) having complete information. Mean scores for CED when perceived to be most severe were 0.30 (EQ-5D, interquartile range −0.02 to 0.52) and 0.27 (visual analogue scale, interquartile range 0.12-0.39) in scales with scores ranging from −0.54 to 1.00 and from 0 to 1.00, respectively. The mean score for current health status derived from the visual analogue scale was 0.49 (95% CI for mean 0.45-0.52) in a scale with scores ranging from 0 to 1.00. Rural Bangladeshi women attached very low quality of life scores to CED. The scores are comparable to scores attached to severe debilitating conditions like cancer in western countries. If considered in the global perspective, prevention of chronic energy deficiency among women in developing countries should be given high priority.
Absence of cost-effectiveness (CE) analyses limits the relevance of large-scale nutrition interve... more Absence of cost-effectiveness (CE) analyses limits the relevance of large-scale nutrition interventions in low-income countries. We analyzed if the effect of invitation to food supplementation early in pregnancy combined with multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) on infant survival represented value for money compared to invitation to food supplementation at usual time in pregnancy combined with iron-folic acid. Outcome data, infant mortality (IM) rates, came from MINIMat trial (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab, ISRCTN16581394). In MINIMat, women were randomized to early (E around 9 weeks of pregnancy) or usual invitation (U around 20 weeks) to food supplementation and daily doses of 30 mg, or 60 mg iron with 400 μgm of folic acid, or MMS with 15 micronutrients including 30 mg iron and 400 μgm of folic acid. In MINIMat, EMMS significantly reduced IM compared to UFe60F (U plus 60 mg iron 400 μgm Folic acid). We present incremental CE ratios for incrementing UFe6...
Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventio... more Background: Evidence is often missing on social differentials in effects of nutrition interventions. We evaluated the adherence to and effect of prenatal food and micronutrient supplementations on mortality before the age of five years in different social groups as defined by maternal schooling. Methods: Data came from the MINIMat study (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions, Matlab), a randomized trial of prenatal food supplementation (invitation early, about 9 weeks [E], or at usual time, about 20 weeks [U] of pregnancy) and 30 mg or 60 mg iron with 400 μgm folic acid, or multiple micronutrients (Fe30F, Fe60F, MMS) resulting in six randomization groups, EFe30F, UFe30F, EFe60F, UFe60F, EMMS, and UMMS (n = 4436). Included in analysis after omissions (fetal loss and out-migration) were 3625 women and 3659 live births of which 3591 had information on maternal schooling. The study site was rural Matlab, Bangladesh. The main stratifying variable was maternal schooling dichotomized as <6 years and ≥6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard model for survival analyses. Results: Overall, women having <6 years of schooling adhered more to food (81 vs. 69 packets, P=0.0001) but a little less to micronutrient (104 vs. 120 capsules, P = 0.0001) supplementation compared to women having more schooling, adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2) at week 8 pregnancy. Children of mothers with ≥6 years of schooling had lower under-five mortality, but the EMMS supplementation reduced the social difference in mortality risk (using standard program and schooling <6 years as reference; standard program and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.27-1.11; EMMS and schooling ≥6 years HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12-0.70; EMMS and schooling <6 years HR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11-0.63), adjusted for maternal age (years), parity and body mass index (kg/m 2) at week 8 pregnancy. Conclusions: The combination of an early invitation to prenatal food supplementation and multiple micronutrient supplementation lowered mortality in children before the age of five years and reduced the gap in child survival chances between social groups. The pattern of adherence to the supplementations was complex; women with less education adhered more to food supplementation while those with more education had higher adherence to micronutrients. Trial registration: ISRCTN16581394.
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