Effect of nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions with participatory videos and women's group meetings on maternal and child nutritional outcomes in rural Odisha, India (UPAVAN trial): a four-arm, observer-blind, cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Summary

The UPAVAN trial evaluated three nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) intervention packages delivered through women's groups and household visits over 32 months in rural Odisha, India. Four trial arms compared control with NSA videos alone, NSA plus nutrition-specific videos, and NSA with nutrition-specific participatory learning and action cycles. The trial assessed effects on child dietary diversity, maternal BMI, and child wasting across 148 clusters with baseline and 36-month endline surveys.

Regional applicability

This study was conducted in rural Odisha, India, and is directly applicable to similar agro-ecological and socioeconomic contexts in South Asia. Transferability to United Kingdom settings would be limited, as the intervention targets subsistence farming communities with high undernutrition prevalence; however, the methodology and participatory video approach may inform nutrition-sensitive agriculture policy in lower-income food-insecure regions globally.

Key measures

Proportion of children aged 6-23 months meeting minimum dietary diversity (≥4 of 7 food groups); maternal BMI; proportion of mothers meeting dietary diversity (≥5 of 10 food groups); child wasting (weight-for-height Z score <-2 SD)

Outcomes reported

The study measured the proportion of children aged 6-23 months consuming at least four of seven food groups, mean maternal body-mass index (BMI), proportion of mothers consuming at least five of ten food groups, and child wasting (weight-for-height Z score SD <-2). Outcomes were assessed via cross-sectional surveys at baseline and 36 months post-intervention.

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