Evaluation report
A Multi-Sectoral Programme Evaluation: Assessing the Impact of Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture on Child Stunting in the Ethiopian Highlands (2021–2026)
Meklit Haileselassie ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a study protocol for evaluating a nutrition-sensitive agriculture programme in the Ethiopian Highlands designed to reduce child stunting. The programme combines homestead food production, nutrition education, and gender training for households with children under five. The evaluation uses a quasi-experimental design comparing intervention and control districts, with surveys in 2024 and 2026 measuring agricultural diversity, diet quality, feeding practices, and child height. The study aims to provide evidence on whether linking agriculture and nutrition interventions can improve child growth.
Key points
- The programme integrates three components: homestead food production, nutrition behaviour change communication, and gender-sensitive training
- Study design compares 1,200 households across four intervention districts with four matched control districts
- Primary outcome is stunting prevalence measured by height-for-age z-score
- Analysis uses a difference-in-differences approach to control for socio-economic and maternal factors
- Findings aim to inform policy on multi-sectoral approaches to combat malnutrition in Africa
Limitations
This is a study protocol, not results, so no actual outcomes or evidence of effectiveness are presented. The document does not report whether the programme successfully reduced stunting or describe any interim findings.
Abstract
Child stunting remains a critical public health challenge in Ethiopia, demanding integrated, multi-sectoral solutions. This study protocol outlines a prospective evaluation of a large-scale nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) programme on child linear growth in the Ethiopian Highlands. The programme integrates homestead food production, nutrition behaviour change communication, and gender-sensitive training. A longitudinal, quasi-experimental design will be employed, with repeated surveys in 2024 (baseline) and 2026 (endline) across four intervention districts and four matched control districts. A total of 1,200 households with children under five will be sampled at each round. Data will be collected on agricultural production diversity, women's dietary diversity, child feeding practices, and anthropometry. The primary outcome is the prevalence of stunting (height-for-age z-score < -2). The analysis plan utilises a difference-in-differences approach to estimate the programme's impact, controlling for socio-economic and maternal covariates. This design aims to provide robust evidence on the association between the NSA intervention and improved child growth outcomes. The findings are intended to inform policymakers on the potential of such multi-sectoral programmes as a component of broader strategies to combat malnutrition in Africa.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Nutrition-sensitive agriculture programme integrating homestead food production, nutrition behaviour change communication, and gender-sensitive training
- Population
- 1,200 households with children under five in the Ethiopian Highlands across intervention and control districts
Key finding
Study protocol outlines planned evaluation but does not present results