. 2008 Feb 14;4(Suppl 1):24–85. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8709.2007.00124.x

Table 2.

Summary of intervention approaches used and the outcomes measured by studies included in the review

Author	Type of study	Level of evidence	Site	Nature of intervention	Outcomes
Education
Bhandari et al. (2004)	Efficacy	1+	India	Health and nutrition workers in intervention communities were trained to counsel mothers at home, clinics and hospitals.	Growth
Bhandari et al. (2004)	Efficacy	1+	India	Duration: 18 months	Growth
Hotz & Gibson (2005)	Efficacy	2++	Malawi	Mothers received education on food preparation, food diversity and use of amylase rich flour.	Fe/Zn intake
Hotz & Gibson (2005)	Efficacy	2++	Malawi	Duration: 2 months	Fe/Zn intake
Kapur et al. (2003)	Efficacy	1+	India	Trained health workers delivered nutrition education to mothers, and/or children received 20 mg of elemental Fe per week.	Fe status/intake
Kapur et al. (2003)	Efficacy	1+	India	Duration: 4 months	Fe status/intake
Penny et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1+	Peru	Health staff received education in counselling and anthropometry; high‐performing facilities were accredited.	Growth; Fe/Zn intake
Penny et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1+	Peru	Duration: 18 months	Growth; Fe/Zn intake
Santos et al. (2001)	Efficacy	1+	Brazil	Health‐care providers were trained to deliver educational messages on food preparation and infant feeding to mothers.	Growth, Fe/Zn intake
Santos et al. (2001)	Efficacy	1+	Brazil	Duration: 6 months	Growth, Fe/Zn intake
Vitolo et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1+	Brazil	Mothers received educational guidelines for infant and child feeding from birth to 1 year post‐partum through home visits.	Growth, morbidity
Vitolo et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1+	Brazil	Duration: 12 months	Growth, morbidity
Guldan et al. (2000)	Programme	2+	China	Trained nutrition educators provided growth monitoring and counselling in intervention areas.	Growth, Fe status
Guldan et al. (2000)	Programme	2+	China	Duration: 4–12 months	Growth, Fe status
Guyon et al. (2006)	Programme	2+	Madagascar	The Essential Nutrition Action programme was implemented that had several components including Behavior Change Communication (BCC) for mothers, health staff and community workers.	Growth
Guyon et al. (2006)	Programme	2+	Madagascar	Duration: Intervention was in operation for 5 years at the time of evaluation	Growth
Kilaru et al. (2005)	Programme	2+	India	Trained field workers educated mothers on food preparation and infant feeding.	Growth
Kilaru et al. (2005)	Programme	2+	India	Duration: 7–12 months	Growth
Maluccio & Flores (2004)	Programme	1++	Nicaragua	Mothers received education, health services and cash transfer in a government programme.	Growth, Fe status
Maluccio & Flores (2004)	Programme	1++	Nicaragua	Duration: 24 months	Growth, Fe status
Food alone
Beckett et al. (2000)	Efficacy	1+	Indonesia	Children received milk product with different energy contents with or without micronutrients.	Growth, development
Beckett et al. (2000)	Efficacy	1+	Indonesia	Duration: 6–12 months	Growth, development
Kuusipalo et al. (2006)	Efficacy	1+	Malawi	Malnourished children received fortified food in the form of milk‐ or soy‐based spread.	Growth, Fe status
Kuusipalo et al. (2006)	Efficacy	1+	Malawi	Duration: 3 months	Growth, Fe status
Obatolu (2003)	Efficacy	1+	Nigeria	Infants received extruded malted maize/malted cowpea/crayfish/corn oil blend.	Growth
Obatolu (2003)	Efficacy	1+	Nigeria	Duration: 14 months	Growth
Oelofse et al. (2003)	Efficacy	1−	South Africa	Children received centrally processed, fortified CF.	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A status, development
Oelofse et al. (2003)	Efficacy	1−	South Africa	Duration: 6 months	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A status, development
Santos et al. (2005)	Programme	2+	Brazil	Malnourished children received dry milk and cooking oil under government programme.	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A intake
Santos et al. (2005)	Programme	2+	Brazil	Duration: 6 months	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A intake
Food + education
Bhandari et al. (2001)	Efficacy	1+	India	Subjects received nutrition education, or education plus fortified milk/cereal food.	Growth, morbidity
Bhandari et al. (2001)	Efficacy	1+	India	Duration: 8 months.	Growth, morbidity
Roy et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1+	Bangladesh	Subjects received nutrition education, or education plus supplemental feeding.	Growth, morbidity
Roy et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1+	Bangladesh	Duration: 3 months.	Growth, morbidity
Gartner et al. (2007)	Programme	2+	Senegal	Peri‐urban children received flour mix from local ingredients; mothers received nutrition education.	Growth
Gartner et al. (2007)	Programme	2+	Senegal	Duration: 6 months	Growth
Hossain et al. (2005b)	Programme	2++	Bangladesh	Mothers received education on infant feeding, malnourished children received food through government programme.	Growth
Hossain et al. (2005b)	Programme	2++	Bangladesh	Duration: At the time of study, the project had been in operation for 6 years	Growth
Lutter et al. (2006)	Programme	2+	Ecuador	Fortified food for children (Mi Papilla) and nutrition education for their families and health workers in intervention areas.	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A intake and status
Lutter et al. (2006)	Programme	2+	Ecuador	Duration: 11 months	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A intake and status
López de Romaña (2000)	Programme	2+	Peru	Fortified food (Ali Alimentu) for children, nutrition education for mothers.	Growth, Fe/vitamin A status
López de Romaña (2000)	Programme	2+	Peru	Duration: 12 months	Growth, Fe/vitamin A status
Rivera et al. (2004)	Programme	1+	Mexico	Children/mothers received fortified food and health services, family received cash transfers.	Growth, Fe status
Rivera et al. (2004)	Programme	1+	Mexico	Duration: 24 months	Growth, Fe status
Schroeder et al. (2002)	Programme	1+	Vietnam	Mothers received education on infant feeding, malnourished children received extra food.	Growth, morbidity
Schroeder et al. (2002)	Programme	1+	Vietnam	Duration: 6 months	Growth, morbidity
Fortification
Adu‐Afarwuah et al. (2007); Adu‐Afarwuah et al. (in press)	Efficacy	1++	Ghana	Children received added micronutrients through home fortification; one group received extra energy through fortified fat‐based spread.	Growth, motor development, morbidity, Fe status
	Efficacy	1++	Ghana	Duration: 6 months	Growth, motor development, morbidity, Fe status
Dhingra et al. (2004); Sazawal et al. (2007)	Efficacy	1++	India	Children received added micronutrients in a milk supplement.	Growth, morbidity, Fe status, development
Dhingra et al. (2004); Sazawal et al. (2007)	Efficacy	1++	India	Duration: 12 months	Growth, morbidity, Fe status, development
Faber et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1+	South Africa	Children received added micronutrients through centrally processed CF.	Growth; Fe/vitamin A/Zn status
Faber et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1+	South Africa	Duration: 6 months	Growth; Fe/vitamin A/Zn status
Giovannini et al. (2006)	Efficacy	1++	Cambodia	Children received added micronutrients through home fortification with Sprinkles™.	Growth, Fe status
Giovannini et al. (2006)	Efficacy	1++	Cambodia	Duration: 12 months	Growth, Fe status
Javaid et al. (1991)	Efficacy	1+	Pakistan	Children received milk cereal fortified with Fe using Fe fumarate or Fe pyrophosphate.	Growth, Fe status, morbidity
Javaid et al. (1991)	Efficacy	1+	Pakistan	Duration: 8 months	Growth, Fe status, morbidity
Lartey et al. (1999)	Efficacy	1++	Ghana	Children received various blends of cereal, legume and/or fish with or without added micronutrients.	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A intake and status, morbidity
Lartey et al. (1999)	Efficacy	1++	Ghana	Duration: 6 months	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A intake and status, morbidity
Schumann et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1++	Guatemala	Children received black beans fortified with haem from bovine blood or inorganic FeSO4 5 days week⁻¹.	Fe status
Schumann et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1++	Guatemala	Duration: 2.5 months	Fe status
Sharieff et al. (2006)	Efficacy	1+	Pakistan	Infants received Sprinkles™ added to complementary foods daily.	Fe status, morbidity
Sharieff et al. (2006)	Efficacy	1+	Pakistan	Duration: 2 months	Fe status, morbidity
Smuts et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1++	South Africa	Children received added micronutrients through home fortification with foodlet.	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A status, morbidity
Smuts et al. (2005)	Efficacy	1++	South Africa	Duration: 6 months	Growth, Fe/Zn/vitamin A status, morbidity
Villalpando et al. (2006)	Efficacy	1++	Mexico	Children received added micronutrients in milk product.	Fe intake, Fe/Zn status
Villalpando et al. (2006)	Efficacy	1++	Mexico	Duration: 6 months	Fe intake, Fe/Zn status
Walter et al. (1993)	Efficacy	1+	Chile	Children received fortified (electrolytic Fe 55 mg per 100 g of dry power) rice cereal daily.	Fe status
Walter et al. (1993)	Efficacy	1+	Chile	Duration: 11 months	Fe status
Zlotkin et al. (2003)	Efficacy	1+	Ghana	Children received Sprinkles™ containing Fe (microencapsulated Fe fumarate) alone or Fe + vitamin A.	Fe status
Zlotkin et al. (2003)	Efficacy	1+	Ghana	Duration: 6 months	Fe status
Menon et al. (2007)	Programme	1+	Haiti	Children receiving food assistance (fortified wheat/soy blend) were given Sprinkles™.	Fe status
Menon et al. (2007)	Programme	1+	Haiti	Duration: 2 months	Fe status
World Vision Mongolia (2005)	Programme	2+	Mongolia	Children 6–35 months of age received Sprinkles™ with Fe and vitamin D. Other components of the Nutrition Program included the promotion of breastfeeding and consumption of nutrient (Fe)‐rich foods, and increasing nutrition knowledge and capacity in health facilities and communities.	Fe status
World Vision Mongolia (2005)	Programme	2+	Mongolia	Duration: Average of 13 months	Fe status
Increased energy density
Hossain et al. (2005a)	Efficacy	1−	Bangladesh	Children received CF with amylase (ARF).	Growth
Hossain et al. (2005a)	Efficacy	1−	Bangladesh	Duration: 1.5 months	Growth
John & Gopaldas (1993)	Efficacy	1+	India	Children received wheat gruel with amylase.	Growth
John & Gopaldas (1993)	Efficacy	1+	India	Duration: 6 months	Growth
Mamiro et al. (2004)	Efficacy	1+	Tanzania	Cereal & legume in CF were processed (soak/germinate/roast) to increase energy density & Fe solubility and reduce phytate.	Growth, Fe status/intake
Mamiro et al. (2004)	Efficacy	1+	Tanzania	Duration: 6 months	Growth, Fe status/intake
Moursi et al. (2003)	Efficacy	1+	Congo	Children received processed cereal/legume blend with amylase (industrial).	Growth, morbidity
Moursi et al. (2003)	Efficacy	1+	Congo	Duration: 3.5 months	Growth, morbidity
Owino et al. (2007)	Efficacy	1+	Zambia	Children received processed cereal/legume blend with or without amylase.	Growth, Fe status
Owino et al. (2007)	Efficacy	1+	Zambia	Duration: 3 months	Growth, Fe status

ARF, amylase‐rich flour; CF, complementary food; 1++, randomized controlled trials with very low risk of bias; 1+, randomized controlled trials with low risk of bias; 1−, randomized controlled trials with high risk of bias; 2++, non‐randomized trials with very low risk of confounding; 2+, non‐randomized trials with low risk of confounding.