Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 24, 2026

E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
06:28

E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy

Published on: August 1, 2019

8.8K

Child development, growth and microbiota: follow-up of a randomized education trial in Uganda

Prudence Atukunda1, Grace K M Muhoozi1,2, Tim J van den Broek3

  • 1Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Journal of Global Health
|May 28, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Maternal education in rural Uganda improved child development and growth by age three. The intervention positively impacted cognitive, language, and motor skills, alongside physical growth, but did not affect gut microbiota composition.

Area of Science:

  • Global Health
  • Child Development
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Undernutrition significantly hinders child development and growth.
  • A cluster-randomized trial investigated the impact of a maternal education package in rural Uganda.
  • This follow-up study assessed long-term effects on child development, growth, and gut microbiota at 36 months.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effects of a maternal education intervention on children's cognitive, language, and motor development.
  • To assess the intervention's impact on child growth, specifically height-for-age.
  • To examine changes in gut microbiota composition following the maternal education program.

Main Methods:

  • Follow-up of 155 mother-child pairs from an initial trial (511 pairs).
  • Intervention group received nutrition, stimulation, and hygiene education; control group received routine care.
  • Developmental outcomes assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III), Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), and Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL). Growth and gut microbiota were also analyzed.

Main Results:

  • The intervention group showed significantly higher BSID-III composite scores for cognitive, language, and motor development compared to the control group (P < 0.05).
  • Improvements were observed in ASQ and MSEL scores for the intervention group.
  • A significant increase in height-for-age z-score was noted in the intervention group (P = 0.0001), but gut microbiota composition remained similar between groups.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal education intervention positively influenced child development and growth at three years of age.
  • The intervention did not significantly alter gut microbiota composition.
  • The findings suggest the potential applicability of this maternal education approach in other low-resource settings.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure07:56

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Published on: September 19, 2019

10.6K
The Dyspepsia Educational Tool As a Novel Aid in Dyspepsia Management06:40

The Dyspepsia Educational Tool As a Novel Aid in Dyspepsia Management

Published on: June 29, 2019

7.0K

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
10.2K
Clinical Trials: Overview01:11

Clinical Trials: Overview

Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
4.7K
Trial and Error and Algorithm01:12

Trial and Error and Algorithm

A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action used to find a solution. Different strategies have distinct action plans. Trial and error involves trying different solutions until one works. For instance, to fix a broken printer, you might check ink levels, ensure the paper tray isn't jammed, and verify the printer's connection to your laptop. This method can be time-consuming but is commonly used. Thomas Edison, for example, used trial and error to find a suitable filament for the light...
403
Random Error01:04

Random Error

Random or indeterminate errors originate from various uncontrollable variables, such as variations in environmental conditions, instrument imperfections, or the inherent variability of the phenomena being measured. Usually, these errors cannot be predicted, estimated, or characterized because their direction and magnitude often vary in magnitude and direction even during consecutive measurements. As a result, they are difficult to eliminate. However, the aggregate effect of these errors can be...
9.1K
Random Variables01:09

Random Variables

A random variable is a single numerical value that indicates the outcome of a procedure. The concept of random variables is fundamental to the probability theory and was introduced by a Russian mathematician, Pafnuty Chebyshev, in the mid-nineteenth century.
Uppercase letters such as X or Y denote a random variable. Lowercase letters like x or y denote the value of a random variable. If X is a random variable, then X is written in words, and x is given as a number.
For example, let X = the...
17.6K
Randomized Experiments01:13

Randomized Experiments

The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
8.9K