Share research - Nutrition

The implications of three major new trials for the effect of water, sanitation and hygiene on childhood diarrhea and stunting: a consensus statement

shareadmin — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 11:03:41 +0000

This paper by Cumming et al. (2019) was published in BMC Medicine. It discusses three large studies that focussed on WASH and childhood stunting: WASH Benefits Bangladesh, WASH Benefits Kenya and SHINE. The three trials found no effect of basic WASH interventions on childhood stunting, and only mixed effects on childhood diarrhea. These results clearly warrant the attention of researchers, policy-makers and practitioners. This paper reports the conclusions of an expert meeting convened by the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to discuss these findings, and present five key consensus messages as a basis for wider discussion and debate in the WASH and nutrition sectors. The paper concludes that more comprehensive or ambitious WASH interventions may be needed to achieve a major impact on child health.

Download (1.1 MB) Marni Brennan

WHO UNICEF Position paper on recent WASH and nutrition trials

shareadmin — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 14:22:52 +0000

This position paper published by WHO and UNICEF discusses the recent WASH and nutrition studies - WASH Benefits and SHINE. These studies are an important contribution to the exisitng evidence base around WASH and nutrition and they have provoked intresting discussion in the WASH, nutrition and related sectors. This paper summarises the studies and the related responses from the sector, contextualises the findings in the wider body of evidence and discusses the implications for future WASH and WASH and nutrition investments to guide practice, policy and research.

Download (1.07 MB) Marni Brennan

Risk Factors Associated with Feeding Children under 2 Years in Rural Malawi – A Formative Study

shareadmin — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 13:10:59 +0000

Chidziwisano et al. (2019) published this research in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The paper discusses the formative research the team carried out in the risk factors associated with feeding young children in rural Malawi. This is a crucial area of research since these risk factors contribute to childhood diarrhoeal disease, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in under-fives in low income settings. This research was conducted in Chikwawa district, Southern Malawi from June to October 2017. It used a mixed methods approach to collect data from household surveys (n=323), checklists (n=31), structured observations (n=80) and microbiological food samples (n=20). These results offer new insights into poor hygiene practices, risk factors and transmission pathways leading to increased incidence of diarrhoeal disease.

Download (1.95 MB) Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Marni Brennan Malawi

Enteric pathogen diversity in infant foods in low-income neighborhoods of Kisumu, Kenya

shareadmin — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 10:02:24 +0000

Tsai et al. (2019) published this paper in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Pathogen spread through food is a crucial transmission route for diarrhoeal disease in children in low and middle-income countries. This paper explores this under-researched area. The authors examined the frequency of enteric pathogen occurrence and co-occurrence in 127 infant weaning foods and assessed household food hygiene risk factors for contamination in Kisumu, Kenya. Enteric pathogen material was detected in 62% of the infant weaning foods and 37% of foods contained more than one pathogen type. The type of infant food best explained the presence and diversity of enteric pathogens in infant food, with cow's milk carrying a particularly high risk. Most household food hygiene risk factors considered in the study were not significantly associated with pathogen contamination. This research demonstrates the importance of interventions to prevent foodborne transmission of diarrhoeal pathogens to infants in low-income urban settings.

Download (717.93 KB) Safe Start Marni Brennan Kenya

Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene - Formative Research Brief

shareadmin — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 14:14:45 +0000

This briefing note provides an overview of the formative research conducted as part of the Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene project in rural Malawi. The methods and findings from the four key stages leading to the intervention development are highlighted in the brief.

Download (558.22 KB) Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Malawi

Recipe for Success

shareadmin — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 08:44:33 +0000

At current rates of progress, the world will not meet the Sustainable Development Goals to end malnutrition by 2030. In this report, Action Against Hunger, WaterAid and SHARE assert that the integration of action on nutrition and WASH is fundamental to the recipe for success.

Download our report below, watch our short video and read our blog.

Download (1.38 MB) Sophie Durrans Ghana Mali Zimbabwe

‘Unfit for human consumption’: a study of the contamination of formula milk fed to young children in East Java, Indonesia

shareadmin — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 08:59:08 +0000

This cross-sectional study examined levels of bacterial contamination in formula feeding bottles in Sidoarjo, East Java, and to assess the preparation practices that may have been responsible. Results found a total of 88% of the formula feeds were contaminated with total coliforms at a level >10 MPN/ml, and 45% contained E. coli. These feeds were defined as ‘unfit for human consumption’. The high levels of contamination found that bottles are an important faecal-oral exposure pathway resulting from poor hygiene practices during bottle preparation.

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Safe Start - Progress Report

shareadmin — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 16:32:36 +0000

This progress report highlights updates to the Safe Start research project from July 2016 - May 2017. The summary includes an overview of the project's aims and objectives, formative research progress and key challenges and RIU successes.

Download (184.12 KB) Safe Start

Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene - Progress Report

shareadmin — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:59:58 +0000

This progress report highlights updates to the Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene research project from July 2016 - May 2017. The summary report includes an overview of the project's aims and objectives, formative research progress and key challenges and successes.

Download (486.39 KB) Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Malawi

Trial of a Novel Intervention to Improve Multiple Food Hygiene Behaviors in Nepal

shareadmin — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 08:37:51 +0000

This publication, published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, shows the results of a trial of an intervention to improve five food hygiene behaviors among mothers of young children in rural Nepal. The research was conducted by Om Prasad-Guatam, former SHARE PhD fellow, along with LSHTM colleagues.

Download (6.94 MB) Weaning Food Hygiene - Nepal Om Prasad Gautam Sandy Cairncross Nepal