NCT07522047

Social Networks for Improving Maternal & Child Health

Improving the Health and Nutritional Status of Mothers and Children Using Indigenous Community Structure in Northwest Ethiopia

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 700 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Bahir Dar University · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 15 Years – 49 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Brief Summary: Improving Maternal and Child Health via Indigenous Structures The goal of this cluster randomized controlled community trial is to assess the effect of community-based interventions using indigenous community structures on the improvement of health and nutritional status in pregnant women (recruited before 16 weeks of gestation) and their children in Northwest Ethiopia. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does a community-based intervention using indigenous structures significantly improve the uptake of maternal health services (ANC, delivery, and PNC)? * Does the intervention effectively reduce the prevalence of maternal depression during the pregnancy and postpartum periods? * To what extent does the intervention improve the nutritional status (reducing thinness and stunting) of mothers and their children? Researchers will compare a group of women receiving counseling from trained indigenous social support groups to a control group receiving only the routine health and nutrition education provided by the standard healthcare system to see if the indigenous approach leads to better health and nutritional outcomes. Participants will: * Receive four counseling sessions during pregnancy (starting before 16 weeks of gestation) and four additional sessions during the lactation period, conducted in their homes by trained social support groups. * Receive educational leaflets containing core health and nutrition messages and appropriate pictures. * Participate in two rounds of surveys (baseline, and endline) involving interviewer-administered questionnaires. * Undergo physical measurements, specifically mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), to assess nutritional status.

Conditions

• Maternal and Child Health
• Maternal Nutrition

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Community-based Health and Nutrition Counseling via Indigenous Social Support Structures (ISSS)	The intervention consists of a structured behavioral and educational program delivered via existing indigenous social support structures (ISSS), such as Idir, Senbete, or Equb. Key components include: Frequency: Eight (8) community-based counseling sessions in total. Four sessions occur during pregnancy (starting before 16 weeks gestation) and four sessions occur during the lactation period (up to 6 months postpartum). Personnel: Counseling is delivered by trained members of the indigenous social support groups who live within the same community as the participants. Content: Standardized counseling on maternal health service uptake (ANC, institutional delivery, PNC), maternal and child nutrition, and perinatal mental health. Materials: Distribution of educational leaflets containing core health and nutrition messages with culturally appropriate pictorial aids to reinforce the counseling sessions.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-04-01
• Primary completion: 2027-06-30
• Completion: 2028-06-30
• First posted: 2026-04-13
• Last updated: 2026-04-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Ethiopia