Decreasing Stunting by Reducing Maternal Depression in Uganda: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (CRCT) for Improved Nutrition Outcomes

Summary

The project seeks to test the integration of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Groups within Care Group projects and investigate whether the treatment of maternal depression with Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Groups improves the adoption of nutrition-related behaviors that can reduce stunting in the Kitgum District in northern Uganda. A secondary aim is to examine whether the participation in the care groups will also result in remission of depression as a non-specific therapeutic effect although it may not be intended as an antidepressant treatment.

Conditions

• Depression, Postpartum
• Malnutrition, Child

Interventions

OTHER

Care Groups

The Care Groups model has strong evidence of improvement of maternal and child health and maternal hygiene/nutrition behaviors.Through Care Groups, women will learn about proper water, sanitation, and hygiene behaviors; Infant and Young Child Feeding practices; management of childhood illnesses; home management, referral and care seeking for sick children; family planning; and use of preventive services available at health facilities (e.g., growth monitoring, deworming, vitamin A supplementation). All children under five years of age will also be screened for acute malnutrition by the Care Group Volunteers, and receive deworming medication and vitamin A supplementation twice a year through the Ministry of Health and Community Health Workers as part of national campaigns.

BEHAVIORAL

IPT-G

IPT-G is an effective, low-cost, short-duration community-based method for decreasing depression has been established that was first rigorously tested in Uganda. Several Private Voluntary Organizations in Africa have used this low-cost, short-duration, community-based group psychosocial approach and found it to be a culturally-sensitive, acceptable, and feasible approach to address depression. IPT-G treatment spans 12 weeks of treatment, consisting of 3 phases (early, middle, and termination). Within this treatment, participants are also assessed for symptoms of depression every week.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Teachers College, Columbia University

  collaborator OTHER

• Johns Hopkins University

  collaborator OTHER

• Food for the Hungry

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Godfrey Opiyo, B.S. · Food for the Hungry

• Trisha Okenge · Food for the Hungry

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-09-11

Primary Completion

2019-04-15

Completion

2019-04-15

Countries

• Uganda

Study Locations