Project R-14535

Effect of Nutrition Education and high Intensity Motor learning training on the nutritional status, motor skill proficiency physical fitness and time to recovery among MAM children 5-7 years in rural area of Jimma Zone South West, Ethiopia (Research)

Despite the long-term adverse effects caused by childhood nutrition, including impaired motor skills, evidence on the effectiveness of nutrition education and high intensity motor learning training (HiML) in children with moderate thinness is lacking. This study aims to assess the effect of nutrition education in combination with HiML, on the nutritional status, the motor skill proficiency, muscular fitness and the time to recovery in moderately thin children age 5-7 years old. This study will be conducted in the rural area of Kersa District, Jimma Zone South-West Ethiopia. Four different work-package (WP) are planned to fulfil the central aim of this PhD project. In WP1, a systematic review and meta-analysis will be performed to understand the physical fitness and motor skill proficiency among undernourished children aged 3-12 years old compared to normal weight (NW) peers. In WP2-3-4, children with moderate thinness age 5-7 years old living in the rural area of Kersa district will be recruited. Outcome measures will be nutritional status, motor skill proficiency, muscular fitness and time to recovery. WP2 involves a comparative cross-sectional design, in which the outcome measures will be compared between moderately thin and NW children. WP3 entails a quasi-experimental study design to assess the effect of nutrition education alone on the outcome measures. In WP4, the effect of combining nutrition education with HiML on the outcome measures which will be evaluated via a cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

01 September 2023 - 31 August 2027