Evaluation of 7-day vs 1-day Packaging of Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrition Supplementation (SQ-LNS)

Summary

Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS), are fortified, lipid-based nutritional supplements that were specifically designed for children 6-24 months to prevent malnutrition. Recent research has shown reductions in mortality, severe wasting, severe stunting, iron deficiency anemia, and developmental delays.

SQ-LNS is currently available in individual daily dose packets of 20g. Healthy children age 6-24 months receive 1 packet per day (1dp), and are typically given a 1- or 2- month supply at a time (30-60 packets).

Recently, Nutriset Développement has developed a new packaging design for SQ-LNS that reduces the cost by over 15% overall, through production efficiency with 40% less packaging, and improved transportation efficiency by 20%. This new packaging is a 140g packet that will allow 20g to be dispensed daily for 7 days (7dp). The packaging has a chamber that will allow for accurate 10g dosing (either twice daily, or twice at once). Users of the packaging will also be able to close the spout to minimize risk of microbiological contamination.

Edesia Nutrition is working with Nutriset to conduct field testing of this new packaging for SQ-LNS, and this mixed-methods study in North Shoa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, will help inform recommendations for the future use of the package. The study seeks to determine (1) the acceptability of integrating SQ-LNS distribution into the malnutrition program; (2) whether adherence to the 2 different package types differs, and if there are differences in usage; (3) and how the packages perform over time, their perceived safety and functionality, and how they are stored.

Educational and communication tools will be developed and pre-tested as part of this study, and will become part of the final deliverable package to Edesia Nutrition, in addition to final recommendations on the product packaging, findings about how the packages are used, and behavior change and nutrition education strategies.

The primary outcome of the quantitative evaluation will be adherence, calculated as the number of delivered doses of SQ-LNS divided by the number of expected doses per week (7).

Adherence will be measured via weekly self-report via caregiver interview and counts of return of used and unused packages during weekly home visits. The percentage of children who receive a dose during structured observation periods will be calculated. Each adherence outcome will be analyzed separately.

Conditions

• Prevention
• Malnutrition, Child
• Nutrition

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

1dp SQ-LNS

Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) are currently available in individual daily dose packets of 20g. Healthy children age 6-24 months receive 1 packet per day (1dp), and are typically given a 1- or 2- month supply at a time (30-60 packets).

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

7dp SQ-LNS

Small Quantity Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (SQ-LNS) are currently available in individual daily dose packets of 20g. Healthy children age 6-24 months receive 1 packet per day (1dp), and are typically given a 1- or 2- month supply at a time (30-60 packets). The 7-day package of SQ-LNS has been developed by Nutriset Développement to improve costs and production and transportation efficiency. The new packaging allows 20g to be dispensed daily for 7 days (7dp).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Heidelberg University

  collaborator OTHER

• Debre Berhan University

  collaborator OTHER

• Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Philippines

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• University of California, San Francisco

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Catherine Oldenburg, ScD · University of California, San Francisco

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

SINGLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Months

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-05-31

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• Ethiopia
• Germany
• Philippines

Study Locations