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. 2019 Sep 11;2019(9):CD000371. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000371.pub7

Freij 1979b (Screened).

Methods Quasi‐RCT
Length of follow‐up: 34 days
Participants Infected children identified by screening
Number analysed for primary outcome: 44
Age range: 1 to 5 years
Inclusion criteria: 92 children 1 to 5 years from a community morbidity trial
Exclusion criteria: none stated
Interventions Single dose vs placebo
  • Piperazine: 3 g/day for 2 days

  • Placebo: for 2 days

Outcomes
  • MUAC

  • Morbidity


Not included in review: weight in % of Harvard standard; authors had intended to measure bicep and tricep skinfolds, but staff were unable to take these measurements
Notes Location: Ethiopia
Burden: high
Freij 1979a (Screened) and Freij 1979b (Screened) were reported in the same article.
Source of funding: Semper Nutrition Fund, Stockholm; Swedish Medical Research Council.
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) High risk Quasi‐RCT: children matched into pairs of equal age and nutritional status.
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk No details reported.
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Described as double‐blind, no further details reported.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk 100% (44/44) of enrolled participants were evaluated. Inclusion of all randomized participants (number evaluable/number randomized): 100% (44/44).
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Low risk Trial authors had intended to measure bicep and tricep skinfolds, but staff were unable to take these measurements.
Other bias Low risk No obvious other source of bias.