Efficacy of a Nutritional Intervention in Children with Moderate Acute Malnutrition: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Sri Lanka During the Economic Crisis in 2023

IntroductionUndernutrition continues to be a significant public health concern, particularly among children under 5 years.ObjectivesThis study evaluated the efficacy of an additional nutritional intervention in improving growth parameters, dietary diversity and hemoglobin levels in children aged 6 to 59 months with moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) during the 2023 economic crisis in Sri Lanka.MethodsThis was a randomized-controlled trial, and children with MAM were randomly allocated to either the intervention group, receiving additional food transfers and nutrition education, or the control group, receiving standard care. The outcomes were improvement in growth parameters, dietary diversity, and hemoglobin levels. Regression analysis was used to adjust for potential confounding variables. A total of 510 children were enrolled and followed for 6 months. The intervention group showed a significant proportion of children improving to normal weight-for-height <i>Z</i>-scores than the control group in addition to the improvement in dietary diversity. However, the 2 groups had no significant difference in stunting and underweight.ConclusionsThe nutritional intervention improved weight for height <i>z</i>-scores and dietary diversity in this cohort of children with MAM. The study highlights the importance of targeted nutrient-adequate food security interventions in undernourished children during crises to support their nutrition rehabilitation effectively.