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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

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Elodie Becquey

Elodie Becquey is a Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, based in IFPRI’s West and Central Africa office in Senegal. She has over 15 years of research experience in diet, nutrition, and food security in Africa, including countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania.

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Elodie Becquey

Senior Research Fellow

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Bio

Elodie Becquey is a Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, based in the West and Central Africa office in Senegal. She has over 15 years of research experience in diet, nutrition, and food security in Africa. At IFPRI since 2013, she has conducted impact evaluation and implementation research on various nutrition and nutrition-sensitive programs in Africa. This work includes several evaluations of integrated interventions to prevent, detect, and/or treat child wasting, evaluation of a poultry value chain intervention, and evaluation of homestead food production. An expert on diet data analysis, she also studies the association between the healthiness of diets and engagement with the food environment in African contexts. She has experience working on populations of young children, school-age children, adolescents, and women of reproductive age in Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania. Before joining IFPRI, Elodie was a Postdoctoral Fellow with Helen Keller International and the University of California, Davis, and a PhD candidate at the French Institute of Research for Sustainable Development. Elodie obtained her PhD in epidemiology from the Pierre et Marie Curie Paris-6 University.

Languages: French, English

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Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Preventing relapse from wasting: the role of sociodemographic, child feeding, and health care determinants and of wasting prevention interventions in Burkina Faso and Mali

2025Brander, Rebecca L.; Toure, Mariama; Becquey, Elodie; Ruel, Marie T.; Leroy, Jef L.; Huybregts, Lieven
Details

Preventing relapse from wasting: the role of sociodemographic, child feeding, and health care determinants and of wasting prevention interventions in Burkina Faso and Mali

Background Relapse among children treated for wasting is a major concern. We estimated the frequency and determinants of relapse to wasting in two populations exposed to PROMIS, an integrated wasting prevention and screening program. Methods Using longitudinal data from PROMIS trials in Burkina Faso and Mali, we calculated the incidence rate and period prevalence of relapse to wasting within 6 months in children who had ≥1 wasting episode ending when they were ≥6 months old for which they were treated and recovered (NBurkina Faso=247; NMali=220). We used backward elimination to select a multivariable model of sociodemographic, nutrition- and health-related determinants of relapse. We also evaluated if prevention interventions (behavior change communication (BCC) and/or small quantity lipid-based nutrient supplements (SQ-LNS) were associated with relapse, adjusting for confounders and trial arm. Results Relapse incidence was 2.6 per child-year in Burkina Faso (N=291 episodes) and 1.6 per child-year in Mali (N=300 episodes). In both countries, being fed the recommended food frequency or iron-rich foods after recovering from wasting was associated with lower risk of relapse. In Mali, longer wasting episodes, lack of minimally diverse diet consumption, and several caregiver/household characteristics were associated with lower risk of relapse. In both countries, receipt of BCC after recovery from wasting was associated with lower risk of relapse (Incidence rate ratio [IRR]Burkina Faso = 0.51 [95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.30, 0.86]; IRRMali = 0.26 [95% CI = 0.11, 0.65]), as was receipt of SQ-LNS (IRRBurkina Faso = 0.33 [95% CI = 0.16, 0.70]; (IRRMali = 0.43 [95% CI = 0.19, 0.94]), after adjustments. Conclusion Children being discharged from wasting treatment are a well-defined vulnerable population who stand to benefit from targeted post-discharge preventive interventions. BCC that includes advice on optimal infant and young child feeding practices and SQ-LNS may help prevent wasting relapse in at-risk children.

Year published

2025

Authors

Brander, Rebecca L.; Toure, Mariama; Becquey, Elodie; Ruel, Marie T.; Leroy, Jef L.; Huybregts, Lieven

Citation

Brander, Rebecca L.; Toure, Mariama; Becquey, Elodie; Ruel, Marie T.; Leroy, Jef L.; and Huybregts, Lieven. 2025. Preventing relapse from wasting: the role of sociodemographic, child feeding, and health care determinants and of wasting prevention interventions in Burkina Faso and Mali. Journal of Nutrition 155(9): 2945-2954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.06.019

Country/Region

Burkina Faso; Mali

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Northern Africa; Child Feeding; Nutrition; Recuperation; Wasting Disease (nutritional Disorder)

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.06.019 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

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Journal Article

A large-scale nutrition- and gender-sensitive poultry market-based program did not improve maternal and child diets in rural Burkina Faso: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

2025Becquey, Elodie; Diop, Loty; Diatta, Ampa D.; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Awonon, Josue; Ganaba, Rasmane; Gelli, Aulo
Details

A large-scale nutrition- and gender-sensitive poultry market-based program did not improve maternal and child diets in rural Burkina Faso: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

Background Livestock production interventions can improve consumption of animal-source foods and diet diversity, which may lead to improved micronutrient adequacy. Objective We assessed the effectiveness on maternal and child dietary outcomes of SELEVER, a livestock intervention designed to improve diets in rural Burkina Faso through training and market facilitation to improve poultry production; women’s empowerment activities; and nutrition and hygiene behavior change communication. Methods For a nonblinded cluster-randomized controlled trial, we randomly assigned 30 communes to SELEVER and 30 communes to control, of which 15 communes served as control for a narrow sample. Fifteen households were randomly selected in two villages per commune; of which 12 were included in the narrow sample. In the wide sample, we used ANCOVA to assess SELEVER’s effectiveness on dietary diversity in index children aged 2-4 years at baseline and in their caregivers, and on minimum acceptable diet in their siblings aged 6-23 months at measurement. In the narrow sample, we used difference-in-difference to assess SELEVER’s effectiveness on vitamin A, iron, and zinc prevalence of adequate intakes (PA) and mean PA of 11 micronutrients in index children and caregivers. Results We enrolled 1,767 index children, 1,766 caregivers and 412 siblings aged 6–23 months at endline in the wide sample, and 1,054 caregiver-child dyads in the narrow sample. In the wide sample, exposure to program activities was higher but moderate in SELEVER communities, with limited effects on dietary knowledge and practices and no effects on diet outcomes. The narrow sample showed a negative effect on zinc PA in children (-26 percentage points, P=0.020), and no effect on other outcomes. Conclusions A program focused on improving the productivity of and demand for nutritious foods did not improve micronutrient adequacy. Implementation strategy and bottlenecks may have limited the system transformations needed to produce measurable shifts toward healthier diets. The study was registered on the ISCRCTN registry (ISRCTN16686478); details are available at https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN16686478

Year published

2025

Authors

Becquey, Elodie; Diop, Loty; Diatta, Ampa D.; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Awonon, Josue; Ganaba, Rasmane; Gelli, Aulo

Citation

Becquey, Elodie; Diop, Loty; Diatta, Ampa D.; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Awonon, Josue; Ganaba, Rasmane; and Gelli, Aulo. 2025. A large-scale nutrition- and gender-sensitive poultry market-based program did not improve maternal and child diets in rural Burkina Faso: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. Journal of Nutrition 155(6): 1909-1922. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.04.027

Country/Region

Burkina Faso

Keywords

Africa; Western Africa; Sub-saharan Africa; Children; Dietary Diversity; Poultry; Rural Areas; Trace Elements

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.04.027 Source record

Project

Agriculture for Nutrition and Health

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Development and validation of the global diet quality score (GDQS) for children 5 to 9 years of age

2025
Arsenault, Joanne E.; Ali, Nazia Binte; Atayde, Agata M. P.; Batis, Carolina; Becquey, Elodie; Bromage, Sabri; Deitchler, Megan; Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Castellanos Gutierrez, Anali
…more Kehoe, Sarah H.; Krishnaveni, Ghattu V.; Leonardo, Sofia; Moursi, Mourad; Nkengfack, Brunhilda Tegomoh
Details

Development and validation of the global diet quality score (GDQS) for children 5 to 9 years of age

Objective The purpose of the study was to develop and validate a Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) for children aged 5–9 years adapted from the existing GDQS developed for adults. Background Diet quality is important for nutrient adequacy and risk of nutrition-related chronic disease. A diet quality metric for global use with children is needed. Methods The 25 food groups of the GDQS were used to assign points for categories of consumption according to gram-weight cutoffs adapted for children based on energy requirements. As a preliminary step, alternative versions of gram-weight cutoffs were tested by comparing correlation analyses using 4 existing dietary datasets from low-, middle-, and high-income countries. A final GDQS metric version, selected based on strength of correlations and operational feasibility, was further examined in regression analyses with individual nutrient intake an overall nutrient intake adequacy score and biomarker and anthropometry outcomes in 7 dietary datasets from different countries. Regressions were also undertaken with other diet quality metrics to compare their relative performance with that of the GDQS. Results The GDQS had strong associations with most nutrient intakes, including an overall mean nutrient adequacy score and some nutrients associated with noncommunicable disease risk, such as fiber and added sugar. Biomarker data were limited in the available datasets and few associations with GDQS were found. The GDQS performed better or as well as other dietary quality metrics in predicting nutrient intakes. Conclusion The GDQS was associated with nutrient intakes and fills a gap in a global diet quality metric for children. The GDQS will be a useful tool to measure diet quality and monitoring changes in diet quality over time.

Year published

2025

Authors

Arsenault, Joanne E.; Ali, Nazia Binte; Atayde, Agata M. P.; Batis, Carolina; Becquey, Elodie; Bromage, Sabri; Deitchler, Megan; Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Castellanos Gutierrez, Anali; Kehoe, Sarah H.; Krishnaveni, Ghattu V.; Leonardo, Sofia; Moursi, Mourad; Nkengfack, Brunhilda Tegomoh

Citation

Arsenault, Joanne E.; Ali, Nazia Binte; Atayde, Agata M. P.; Batis, Carolina; Becquey, Elodie; et al. 2025. Development and validation of the global diet quality score (GDQS) for children 5 to 9 years of age. Nutrition Reviews 83(Supplement 1): 37-49. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuae146

Keywords

Non-communicable Diseases; Diet Quality; Children; Nutrient Intake; Measurement

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuae146 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

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August 31 to September 5, 2025

Africa Food Systems Forum 2025 Summit

The Africa Food Systems Forum will host its annual summit in Dakar, Senegal, from August 31 to September 5, 2025. Africa’s Food Systems Forum, formerly AGRF, is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture and food systems, bringing together stakeholders to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African food systems forward. Africa […]

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IFPRI is participating in the 23rd International Congress of Nutrition (ICN), hosted by the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) on August 24-29 in Paris, France.  The theme of this year’s congress is “Sustainable Food for Global Health,” bringing together experts to discuss evidence and innovations in nutrition, sustainability, food science, and public health. IFPRI […]

Micronutrient Forum: 6th Global Conference
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October 16 to 20, 2023

Micronutrient Forum: 6th Global Conference

Hybrid Conference: October 16, 2023 – 8:30 AM to October 20, 2023 – 5:00 PM CEST. IFPRI is pleased to participate in this year’s Micronutrient Forum 6th Global Conference, being held at the World Forum in The Hague October 16–20, with a focus on “Nutrition for Resilience (N4R).

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