Clinical Trial: Mothers Understand And Can do it - Mid Upper Arm Circumference Screening for Malnutrition Performed by Mothers

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Mothers Understand And Can do it - Mid Upper Arm Circumference Screening for Malnutrition Performed by Mothers of Children < 5 Years Old

Brief Summary:

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE :

To determine whether mothers, given minimal group training, are capable of using a MUAC (mid-upper arm circumference) bracelet to screen their children for malnutrition and categorise them into one of three groups : 'red' (SAM ; severe acute malnutrition), 'yellow' (MAM ; moderate acute malnutrition) or 'green' (normal nutritional status)

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES :

To establish whether there is a difference in the MUAC value if measured on the right arm as opposed to the left, in young children

To determine whether there is a difference in the MUAC value if the mid upper arm position is determined visually as opposed to being measured in the 'classical' fashion


Detailed Summary: Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and its complications are major causes of death in under 5s in the developing world. A simple, reproducible, scalable way to recognise acute malnutrition and target early intervention would be a huge advance. Can mothers with limited training reliably measure and interpret the results of Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), a measurement performed with a MUAC measuring tape costing $0.06? MUAC contrasts with Z-score (WHZ), which requires both scales and a height gauge, both health worker interventions susceptible to considerable error, sensitive to non-nutritional factors, requiring calculations and growth curves, yet much less accurate in predicting risk of death compared with MUAC.
Sponsor: Alliance for International Medical Action

Current Primary Outcome: inter and intra observer variability [ Time Frame: 2 years ]

Variance in result of screening for malnutrition performed by mothers with minimal training compared to 'gold-standard' fully trained health care workers. Screening will be performed with a MUAC (mid-upper arm circumference) bracelet, results will be expressed by category: SAM (severe acute malnutrition), MAM (moderate acute malnutrition) or 'normal nutritional status


Original Primary Outcome: inter and intra observer variability [ Time Frame: 2 years ]

To determine whether mothers, given minimal group training, are capable of using a MUAC (mid-upper arm circumference) bracelet to screen their children for malnutrition and categorise them into one of three groups : 'red' (SAM ; severe acute malnutrition), 'yellow' (MAM ; moderate acute malnutrition) or 'green' (normal nutritional status)


Current Secondary Outcome:

  • inter and intra observer variability [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
    The difference in millimetres in the MUAC value if measured on the right arm as opposed to the left ('classical method'), in young children
  • inter and intra observer variability [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
    The difference in the MUAC value in millimetres if the mid upper arm position is determined visually as opposed to being measured in the 'classical' fashion


Original Secondary Outcome:

  • inter and intra observer variability [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
    To establish whether there is a difference in the MUAC value if measured on the right arm as opposed to the left, in young children
  • inter and intra observer variability [ Time Frame: 2 years ]
    To determine whether there is a difference in the MUAC value if the mid upper arm position is determined visually as opposed to being measured in the 'classical' fashion


Information By: Alliance for International Medical Action

Dates:
Date Received: February 12, 2013
Date Started: August 2011
Date Completion:
Last Updated: December 8, 2013
Last Verified: December 2013