Comparison of estimates of the nutrient density of the diet of women and children in Uganda by Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES) and 24-hour recall.

Background: Individual dietary intake data are important for informing national nutrition policy but are rarely available. National Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES) may be an alternative method, but there is no evidence to assess their relative performance.

Objective: To compare HCES-based estimates of the nutrient density of foods consumed by Ugandan women (15 to 49 years of age) and children (24 to 59 months of age) with estimates based on 24-hour recall.

Community trial of insecticide-treated bed net use promotion in southern Ghana: the Net Use Intervention study.

Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) reduce malaria transmission and related morbidity and child mortality; however, incorrect and inconsistent use limits their protective factors. This community trial titled the Net Use Intervention study sought to bridge the gap between ITN ownership and use in southern (coastal) Ghana and to determine the best mix of communication tools to affect behavior of ITN owners to consistent use while maintaining optimal internal and external validity. This two-group, non-randomized experiment evaluated a multichannel, multisector intervention process over the course of 8 weeks.

Early initiation of and exclusive breastfeeding in large-scale community-based programmes in Bolivia and Madagascar.

About one-fourth to one-half of all infant deaths in developing countries occur in the first week of life. Immediate breastfeeding within the first hour, followed by early exclusive breastfeeding, improves the health and survival status of newborns. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that breastfeeding practices, crucial to infant health, can be improved at scale in developing countries.