Advanced seminar in Economics - Günther Fink (University of Basel)

Child growth, parental knowledge and supplementation – Evidence from Zambia

Wednesday 19 June 2024 - 11h00 to 12h30

Extranef 109



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Malnutrition remains a critical challenge affecting child development worldwide, particularly in resource limited settings. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in Zambia to investigate the effects of providing growth information and nutritional supplements on children’s physical and cognitive development. Caregivers of young children were randomly assigned to either receive a growth chart, food supplements or both. The primary outcomes measured were changes in children's height and weight over a 18 months period. We find no height impacts for growth charts but significant improvements in child growth and development with supplements. Despite the observed benefits and generally very positive caregiver feedback on the supplements, willingness to pay for supplements was limited, suggesting that a relatively high level of subsidization would be needed to sustain supplementation programs at scale.

Published from 2 February 2024 to 20 June 2024
Jürgen Maurer
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