An interventional study of Multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cube and Control bouillon cube (iodine-only) in Vitamin A Deficiency, Iron-deficiency and Folate Deficiency, sponsored by University of California, Davis. Completed at 1 site in Ghana. Open to participants aged 2 Years to 49 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-07-12.
Sponsored by University of California, Davis · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
Background: Micronutrient (MN) deficiencies are severe and widespread in West Africa, particularly among young children and women of reproductive age. Bouillon is a promising food fortification vehicle because the product is centrally processed on large scale, consumed by most households in West African countries (even rural, poor households), and consumed by most members of the household in relatively constant amounts. However, several important research questions remain regarding whether the use of fortified bouillon would be feasible and effective for preventing or reducing micronutrient deficiencies in communities where such deficiencies are common. Specifically, no studies have assessed the impacts of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon on micronutrient status. The West Africa Condiment Micronutrient Innovation Trial (CoMIT) Project aims to address this gap, to inform future discussions around fortification of bouillon cubes and related products.
Objective: This study aims to assess the impacts of household use of multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cubes (containing iodine in addition to vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc), compared to control bouillon cubes fortified with iodine only, on:
Methods: This randomized, controlled doubly-masked trial will be conducted in the Kumbungu and Tolon districts in the Northern Region of Ghana, where prior data indicate that deficiencies in the selected nutrients are common. Potential participants will be: 1) non-pregnant non-lactating women of reproductive age (15 - 49 years old), 2) children 2-5 years of age, and 3) non-pregnant lactating women 4-18 months postpartum. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to receive household rations of one of two types of bouillon cubes:
Each participant's household will receive a specific amount of bouillon cube every 2 weeks, and households will be advised to prepare their meals as usual, using the study-provided cubes. The trial duration will be 9 months (38 weeks) for non-pregnant, non-lactating women and children 2-5 years of age, and 3 months (12 weeks) for lactating women. The primary outcomes will be changes from baseline to endline in concentrations of haemoglobin and biomarkers of micronutrient status. Secondary outcomes will include change in prevalence of anaemia and micronutrient deficiency; dietary intake of bouillon and micronutrients; inflammation, malaria, and morbidity symptoms; and children's anthropometric measures and child development.
72 studies on the registry are indexed under Vitamin A Deficiency; 8 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 2,372 is above the median of 168 across 54 interventional studies indexed under Vitamin A Deficiency.
Browse Vitamin A Deficiency studies →University of California, Davis is the lead sponsor of 809 studies on the registry; 145 are open to participants now.
Of its 67 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 43 (64%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Inclusion/exclusion criteria at recruitment (home visit):
Household
Inclusion criteria:
- Head of household provides oral consent for the participation of household members (index participants), and willingness to have study-provided bouillon cubes used in their household for the next 10 months.
Exclusion criteria:
Non-pregnant, non-lactating women of reproductive age
Inclusion criteria:
Exclusion criteria:
Children 2-5 years of age (24-59 mo)
Inclusion criteria:
Exclusion criteria:
Lactating women
Inclusion criteria:
Exclusion criteria:
Exclusion criteria at screening visit for vitamin A isotope dose (WRA only):
Non-pregnant, non-lactating women of reproductive age
Exclusion criteria at baseline visit:
Non-pregnant, non-lactating women of reproductive age
Children 2-5 years of age
Lactating women
Exclusion criteria during course of the intervention:
Non-pregnant, non-lactating women of reproductive age
Lactating women
10-gram shrimp-flavoured bouillon cube, fortified with 6 micronutrients Enrolled participants will receive a household bouillon ration for use in daily cooking (ad lib). Bouillon rations will be replenished every 2 weeks for the study duration of 38 weeks (non-pregnant, non-lactating women 15-49 y and children 2-5 y) or 12 weeks (lactating women 15-49 y and 4-18 mo postpartum).
Dietary Supplement: Multiple micronutrient-fortified bouillon cube
10-gram shrimp-flavoured bouillon cube, fortified with iodine Enrolled participants will receive a household bouillon ration for use in daily cooking (ad lib). Bouillon rations will be replenished every 2 weeks for the study duration of 38 weeks (non-pregnant, non-lactating women 15-49 y and children 2-5 y) or 12 weeks (lactating women 15-49 y and 4-18 mo postpartum).
Dietary Supplement: Control bouillon cube (iodine-only)
Bouillon cube fortified with 80 µg/g folic acid, 1.2 µg/g Vitamin B12, 3 mg/g Zinc (ZnO), 4 mg/g Iron (FePP/citric acid/trisodium citrate), 200 µg/g Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), 30 µg/g Iodine (KIO3)
Bouillon cube fortified with 30 µg/g Iodine (KIO3)
Change in vitamin A status among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Total body vitamin A stores and estimated liver vitamin A concentration measured by retinol isotope dilution at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in vitamin A status among children 2-5 years
Plasma retinol-binding protein (RBP) concentrations, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in vitamin A status among lactating women 4-18 mo postpartum
Breast milk vitamin A concentration and vitamin A per gram fat, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 12 weeks
Change in iron status among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Plasma ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor concentrations, and calculated total body iron stores (BIS), measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in iron status among children 2-5 years
Plasma ferritin and soluble transferrin receptor concentrations, and calculated total body iron stores (BIS), measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in hemoglobin concentration among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Hemoglobin concentration measured in venous blood at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in hemoglobin concentration among children 2-5 years
Hemoglobin concentration measured in venous blood at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in zinc status among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Plasma zinc measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in zinc status among children 2-5 years
Plasma zinc measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in folate status among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Erythrocyte folate concentrations, calculated from whole blood folate and serum folate concentrations, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in folate status among children 2-5 years
Plasma folate concentrations, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in vitamin B12 status among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Plasma vitamin B12 concentrations, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in vitamin B12 status among children 2-5 years
Plasma vitamin B12 concentrations, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in vitamin B12 status among lactating women 4-18 months postpartum
Breast milk vitamin B12 concentrations, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 12 weeks
Average daily household consumption of bouillon
Assessed biweekly by questionnaire, observed stocks, and wrapper counts.
Time frame: 38 weeks
Adherence to study-provided bouillon
Consumption of study-provided bouillon cubes, expressed as percentage of all bouillon consumed by the household, and as percentage of study-provided consumed by the household, assessed biweekly by questionnaire, observed stocks, and wrapper counts
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in vitamin A status markers among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Plasma or serum retinol and retinol-binding protein (RBP) concentrations, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in serum folate concentration among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Serum folate concentration, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in plasma retinol concentration among children 2-5 years
Measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in iodine status among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Urinary iodine concentration, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in iodine status among children 2-5 years
Urinary iodine concentration, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in iodine status among lactating women 4-18 months postpartum
Urinary iodine concentration, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 12 weeks
Change in urinary sodium concentrations among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Urinary sodium concentration, expressed as sodium:potassium ratio, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in inflammation among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Plasma concentrations of acute phase proteins, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in inflammation among children 2-5 years
Plasma concentrations of acute phase proteins, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in current or recent malaria among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Assessed by rapid diagnostic test at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in current or recent malaria among children 2-5 years
Assessed by rapid diagnostic test at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Morbidity among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Cumulative days of symptoms over the study period, assessed by questionnaires administered biweekly
Time frame: 38 weeks
Morbidity among children 2-5 years
Cumulative days of symptoms over the study period, assessed by questionnaires administered biweekly
Time frame: 38 weeks
Morbidity among lactating women 4-18 months postpartum
Cumulative days of symptoms over the study period, assessed by questionnaires administered biweekly
Time frame: 12 weeks
Change in dietary intake among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Dietary intake of bouillon, salt, fortifiable foods, energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients, assessed by repeated 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in dietary intake among children 2-5 years
Dietary intake of bouillon, salt, fortifiable foods, energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients, assessed by repeated 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Dietary intake among lactating women 4-18 months postpartum
Dietary intake of bouillon, salt, fortifiable foods, energy, macronutrients, and micronutrients, assessed by repeated 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline
Time frame: 4 weeks
Change in anemia among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Hemoglobin concentrations \< 12 g/dL, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in anemia among children 2-5 years
Hemoglobin concentrations \< 11 g/dL, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in micronutrient deficiency among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Based on biomarkers of micronutrient status (vitamin A, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B12), measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in micronutrient deficiency among children 2-5 years
Based on biomarkers of micronutrient status (vitamin A, iron, zinc, folate, vitamin B12), measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in low milk nutrient concentrations among lactating women 4-18 months postpartum
Based on concentrations of vitamin A and vitamin B12, measured at baseline and endline
Time frame: 12 weeks
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Assessed by portable device
Time frame: 38 weeks
Hypertension among non-pregnant, non-lactating women
Based on blood pressure measured by portable device
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in faecal calprotectin concentrations among children 2-5 years
Stool samples collected at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in height-for-age Z score and stunting (HAZ < -2) among children 2-5 years
Standing height, standardized using WHO child growth standards
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in weight-for-height Z score and wasting (WHZ < -2) among children 2-5 years
Standardized using WHO child growth standards
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in cognitive development among children 2-5 years
Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT) scores in 4 domains (gross motor, fine motor, language, social)
Time frame: 38 weeks
Fecal microbiota among children 2-5 years
Stool samples collected at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in cognitive development among children 2-5 years
Early Years Toolbox scores at baseline and endline
Time frame: 38 weeks
Household food security
Assessed monthly using the Household Food Insecurity and Access Scale (HFIAS)
Time frame: 38 weeks
Household water security
Assessed monthly by the Household Water Insecurity Experience Scale (HWISE)
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in weight-for-age Z score and underweight (WAZ < -2) among children 2-5 years
Standardized using WHO child growth standards
Time frame: 38 weeks
Change in zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) concentrations
Measured by portable device
Time frame: 38 weeks
Plan to share: Undecided — The investigators will commit to Global Access. The investigators intend to 1) publish journal articles describing the study results with an Open Access license, 2) make available information about study methods, such as protocols or standard operating procedures, on the study website, and 3) make available de-identified datasets upon request by the study sponsor or other investigators. Material/DataTransfer Agreements will be developed between study collaborators, sponsor, and any organizations that may request the data; terms of the agreement will be subject to the data handling and storage procedures approved by the University of California, Davis Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Ghana Health Services Ethical Review Committee (GHS-ERC). Organizations that may request the data; terms of the agreement will be subject to the data handling and storage procedures approved by the University of California, Davis IRB and GHS-ERC.
Ran from Jan 2023 to primary completion in Jun 2024, 16 months.
Of 20 interventional studies with no phase under Vitamin A Deficiency, half reached primary completion within 15 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 26. This study's 16 months is close to that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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