Welcome to the first edition of South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative’s (SANI) Abstract Digest! In each issue, we aim to curate a selection of the latest and relevant studies on maternal and child nutrition for the South Asia region.
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Regional developments: Central Asia
Central Asia faced unprecedented challenges in 2020 as the global pandemic compounded existing problems facing the region.
Regional developments: Central Asia [in Russian}
В 2020 году страны Центральной Азии столкнулись с беспрецедентными вызовами, поскольку глобальная пандемия усугубила существующие в регионе проблемы.
Preconception micronutrient supplementation positively affects child development at 6 years of age: A randomized controlled trial in Vietnam
While there is growing evidence on the role of preconception nutrition for birth outcomes, very few studies have evaluated the effects of nutrition interventions during the preconception period on child development.
Evidence-based decision making for nutrition policy and programme formulation in Ethiopia: A qualitative study exploring barriers and facilitators
Despite much nutrition research conducted in Ethiopia, none has described existing opportunities for synergy or possible missed opportunities to use research to inform policy and program decisions to foster accelerated progress.
Health systems strengthening efforts help to improve the delivery of maternal nutrition interventions in antenatal care in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India but gaps remain
Frontline workers (FLWs) deliver essential nutrition services to reduce maternal undernutrition in India, but coverage and quality remain sub-optimal.
Strengthening nutrition interventions in antenatal care services had modest impacts on diet diversity, micronutrient intake, and breastfeeding in Uttar Pradesh, India
Interventions to improve maternal nutrition are poorly integrated into antenatal care (ANC) services in India.
No magic bullets: Insights on drivers of stunting decline from an analysis of subnational success cases in India
Global attention to reducing childhood stunting has increased the demand for guidance on translating policies into impact.
M-Health intervention has the potential to alleviate constraints in using administrative data systems for improving service delivery in India
Administrative Data (AD) are a key component of nutrition data systems, but little is known about how AD are used or can be reshaped for accountability and action.
Factors influencing roll-out of an m-Health intervention in India: Results from a dynamic and responsive process evaluation
Implementation research can support iterative program improvement, yet limited examples of such dynamic experiences exist.
Using novel scenario-based assessments to examine feasibility of integrating preventive nutrition services through the primary healthcare system in Bangladesh
Bangladesh's National Nutrition Services aims to deliver nutrition services to pregnant women and children through the primary health care system.
Assessing the coverage of biofortified foods: Development and testing of methods and indicators in Musanze, Rwanda
Biofortification is a promising approach to increase micronutrient intakes, especially among populations that are hard to reach with other interventions.
An analysis of nutrition-relevant national policies in South Asia reveals a gap in addressing the essential nutrition actions recommended by World Health Organization (WHO)
The WHO recommends Essential Nutrition Actions (ENAs) throughout the life course to tackle malnutrition in all its forms.
Can health systems platforms do more for nutrition in India? Insights on missed opportunities from India's National Family Health Survey, 2015–2016
Most nutrition interventions can be delivered through health systems. However, the progress to scale up effective nutrition interventions and achieve universal health coverage has not been uniform.
If only I knew: Nutrition behavior change delivered by women's groups has impacts on diet quality that are mediated by knowledge in rural Bihar, India
Poor diets are a major challenge in India. Barriers to improving diets include limited knowledge, access to resources and availability of affordable nutritious foods.
Why are adolescent mothers more likely to have stunted and underweight children than adult mothers? A path analysis using data from 30,000 Bangladeshi mothers, 1996–2014
Adolescent pregnancy is a major global concern due to its adverse effects on maternal and child health and wellbeing. Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy globally.
Routine growth monitoring processes in nutrition programs in India have multiple falter points with implications for quality of care
Growth monitoring (GM) and promotion is a routine part of primary healthcare for children in >80% of countries.
Home food availability, food insecurity and nutrition knowledge are key factors influencing dietary diversity among adolescent girls in Southern Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, where 40% of the population is under 15 years, evidence on adolescent nutrition is limited. We examined the dietary diversity and its determinants among in-school adolescent girls in 2 regions in southern Ethiopia.
Anemia affects one in four Indian men and has not decreased in the last decade: Trends, geographic variability and predictors from nationally representative data, 2005 to 2016
Men have largely been ignored in anemia-focused research and policies. We sought to examine trends, geographic variability, and predictors of anemia in Indian men between 2005 and 2016.
South Asia is far from achieving universal coverage of essential nutrition interventions: Examining coverage, trends, and inequities, 2005 to 2018
South Asia carries the largest burden of malnutrition globally. Tracking coverage of nutrition interventions is a critical step in designing effective nutrition policies and monitoring progress in the region.