Low‐cost local food supplements could improve maternal and birth outcomes in Indonesia: A pilot randomised controlled trial

Objectives. Maternal nutrition plays a crucial role in influencing fetal growth and birth outcomes. The government of Indonesia has provided a manufactured fortified food supplementation program for undernourished pregnant mothers. We hypothesized a low-cost local food supplementation (LFS) would improve maternal and birth outcomes compared with government food supplementation (GFS). Methods. We conducted a randomized control trial. We enrolled 54 pregnant mothers with MUAC<23.5cm who were assigned into two groups. The intervention group received LFS and multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS). The control group received the GFS and iron and folic acid supplements (IFA). LFS was a balanced energy protein food supplement made from nuts and fish. LFS and GFS contained approximately 500kcal energy and 10grams protein. We compared the effectiveness of these two interventions using logistic and linear regression. Results. At the baseline, the two groups had similar characteristics. After 60 days of treatment, mothers in the LFS group were 2.28 folds more likely to increase MUAC (RR 2.28; 95%CI 1.58,3.27, p<0.001) and 4.73 folds to increase gestational weight (RR 4.73; 95%CI 1.37,16.3, p=0.015) than were mothers in the GFS group. For birth outcomes, in the LFS group had reduction of birthweight <3000grams (RR 0.15; 95%CI 0.023,0.98; p=0.048), short birth length (RR 0.068; 95%CI 0.005,0.93; p=0.044), and cesarean delivery (RR 0.11; 95%CI 0.022,0.61, p=011) as compared to the GFS group. Conclusions for Practice. Local foods and MMS supplementation can improve maternal and birth outcomes. Therefore, local food supplements can be considered for food supplementation programs to undernourished pregnant mothers.

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Protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial of an intervention to increase the use of traffic light food labelling in UK shoppers (the FLICC trial)

Pilot and Feasibility Studies ◽

10.1186/s40814-015-0015-1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Peter Scarborough ◽

Charo Hodgkins ◽

Monique M. Raats ◽

Richard A. Harrington ◽

Gill Cowburn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Food Labelling ◽

Traffic Light ◽

Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Randomised Controlled

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P69 Family-based physical activity promotion: results from the families reporting every step to health (FRESH) pilot randomised controlled trial

10.1136/jech-2020-ssmabstracts.161 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

EMF van Sluijs ◽

HE Brown ◽

E Coombes ◽

C Hughes ◽

AP Jones ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Physical Activity Promotion ◽

Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Activity Promotion ◽

Family Based ◽

Randomised Controlled

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Acceptability and Feasibility of a 13-Week Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial Testing the Effects of Incremental Doses of Beetroot Juice in Overweight and Obese Older Adults

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13030769 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 769

Author(s):

Abrar M Babateen ◽

Oliver M Shannon ◽

Gerard M O’Brien ◽

Edward Okello ◽

Anmar A Khan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Beetroot Juice ◽

Obese Adults ◽

Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Brain Functions ◽

Linear Relationships ◽

Trial Testing ◽

Pilot Rct ◽

Randomised Controlled

Nitrate-rich food can increase nitric oxide production and improve vascular and brain functions. This study examines the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) testing the effects of prolonged consumption of different doses of dietary nitrate (NO3-) in the form of beetroot juice (BJ) in overweight and obese older participants. A single-blind, four-arm parallel pilot RCT was conducted in 62 overweight and obese (30.4 ± 4 kg/m2) older participants (mean ± standard deviation (SD), 66 ± 4 years). Participants were randomized to: (1) high-NO3- (HN: 2 × 70 mL BJ/day) (2) medium-NO3- (MN: 70 mL BJ/day), (3) low-NO3- (LN: 70 mL BJ on alternate days) or (4) Placebo (PL: 70 mL of NO3--depleted BJ on alternate days), for 13 weeks. Compliance was checked by a daily log of consumed BJ, NO3- intake, and by measuring NO3- and NO2- concentrations in plasma, saliva, and urine samples. Fifty participants completed the study. Self-reported compliance to the interventions was >90%. There were significant positive linear relationships between NO3- dose and the increase in plasma and urinary NO3- concentration (R2 = 0.71, P < 0.001 and R2 = 0.46 P < 0.001, respectively), but relationships between NO3- dose and changes in salivary NO3- and NO2- were non-linear (R2 = 0.35, P = 0.002 and R2 = 0.23, P = 0.007, respectively). The results confirm the feasibility of prolonged BJ supplementation in older overweight and obese adults.

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A Short Mindfulness Retreat for Students to Reduce Stress and Promote Self-Compassion: Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial Exploring Both an Indoor and a Natural Outdoor Retreat Setting

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9070910 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 910

Author(s):

Dorthe Djernis ◽

Mia S. O’Toole ◽

Lone O. Fjorback ◽

Helle Svenningsen ◽

Mimi Y. Mehlsen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Medium Effect ◽

Control Group ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Self Compassion ◽

Randomised Controlled

Here, we developed and examined a new way of disseminating mindfulness in nature to people without meditation experience, based on the finding that mindfulness conducted in natural settings may have added benefits. We evaluated a 5-day residential programme aiming to reduce stress and improve mental health outcomes. We compared an indoor and an outdoor version of the programme to a control group in a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT). Sixty Danish university students experiencing moderate to high levels of stress were randomised into a residential mindfulness programme indoors (n = 20), in nature (n = 22), or a control group (n = 18). Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the Self-Compassion Scale (primary outcomes) along with additional secondary outcome measures at the start and end of the program and 3 months after. Stress was decreased with small to medium effect sizes post-intervention, although not statistically significant. Self-compassion increased post-intervention, but effect sizes were small and not significant. At follow-up, changes in stress were not significant, however self-compassion increased for both interventions with medium-sized effects. For the intervention groups, medium- to large-sized positive effects on trait mindfulness after a behavioural task were found post-intervention, and small- to medium-sized effects in self-reported mindfulness were seen at follow-up. Connectedness to Nature was the only outcome measure with an incremental effect in nature, exceeding the control with a medium-sized effect at follow-up. All participants in the nature arm completed the intervention, and so did 97% of the participants in all three arms. Overall, the results encourage the conduct of a larger-scale RCT, but only after adjusting some elements of the programme to better fit and take advantage of the potential benefits of the natural environment.

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