17. Food vouchers – results of included trials.
| Study ID (risk of bias) | Study design (n) | Food vouchers | No intervention | Effect measure (time point) | Effect direction a | Meta‐analysis | Notes | ||||
| Results at baseline | Results at follow‐up | n | Results at baseline | Results at follow‐up | n | ||||||
| Primary outcomes | |||||||||||
| 4.3 Proportion of HHs who were food secure | |||||||||||
| 4.3.1 Dietary diversity | |||||||||||
| 4.3.1.1 Outcome measure: Food Consumption Score (mean): different scales (out of 112 and 8) | |||||||||||
| Hidrobo 2014 (‐) | cRCT (2087 HHs) | 59.75 | — | — | 59.05 | — | — | Coefficient 9.40, 95% CI 6.6 to 12.2, P < 0.01 (7 months) | ▲ | No. SMD needed as scales are different. SMD could not be calculated due to missing group sizes for Hidrobo – MV to email authors. | SE calculated from CI |
| Ponce 2017 food voucher alone (‐) | cRCT (372 HHs) | 5.96 | NR | 171 HHs | 5.89 | NR | 201 HHs | Coefficient 0.394, SE 0.05, 95% CI 0.296 to 0.492, P < 0.01 (1 year) | ▲ | SE available | |
| Ponce 2017 food voucher + education (‐) | cRCT (602 HHs) | 5.83 | NR | 401 HHs | 5.89 | NR | 201 HHs | Coefficient 0.291, SE 0.081, P < 0.01 (1 year) | ▲ | SE available | |
| Secondary outcomes | |||||||||||
| 4.4 Change in adequacy of dietary intake | |||||||||||
| 4.4.1 Outcome measure: Mineral Sufficiency Index (mean, SD) | |||||||||||
| Jensen 2011 (?) | RCT (1265 HHs) | 1.02 (0.36) | — | 969 | 1.00 (0.34) | — | — | % change –0.061, 95% CI –0.219 to 0.098 (5 months) | ▽ | — | — |
| 4.4.2 Outcome measure: Vitamin Sufficiency Index (mean, SD) | |||||||||||
| Jensen 2011 (?) | RCT (1265 HHs) | 1.2 (0.44) | — | — | 1.17 (0.38) | — | — | % change –0.051, 95% CI –0.218 to 0.116 (5 months) | ▽ | — | — |
| 4.5 Change in anthropometric indicators | |||||||||||
| 4.5.1 Stunting | |||||||||||
| 4.5.1.1 Outcome measure: % stunted (HAZ < –2SD), n (%) | |||||||||||
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1643 children) | 473 (54.9) | NR | 834 children | 437 (51.7) | NR | 809 children | OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.67, P < 0.001 (6 months) | ▲ | — | — |
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1633 children) | 473 (54.9) | NR | 818 children | 437 (51.7) | NR | 815 children | OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.73, P = 0.001 (12 months) | ▲ | — | — |
| 4.5.1.2 Outcome measure: % severely stunted (HAZ < –3SD) | |||||||||||
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1643 children) | NR | NR | 834 children | NR | NR | 809 children | OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.63, P < 0.001 (6 months) | ▲ | — | — |
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1633 children) | NR | NR | 818 children | NR | NR | 815 children | OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.79, P = 0.003 (12 months) | ▲ | — | — |
| 4.5.1.3 Outcome measure: HAZ, mean (SD) | |||||||||||
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1643 children) | –2.12 (1.69) | NR | 834 children | –1.97 (1.75) | NR | 809 children | Beta‐coefficient 0.27, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.34, P < 0.001 (6 months) | ▲ | — | — |
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1633 children) | –2.12 (1.69) | NR | 818 children | –1.97 (1.75) | NR | 815 children | Beta‐coefficient 0.29, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.40, P < 0.001 (12 months) | ▲ | — | — |
| 4.5.2 Wasting | |||||||||||
| 4.5.2.1 Outcome measure: % wasted (WHZ < –2SD), n (%) | |||||||||||
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1643 children) | 165 (19.3) | NR | 834 children | 184 (21.9) | NR | 809 children | OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.67 to 2.01, P = 0.6 (6 months) | ▽ | — | — |
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1633 children) | 165 (19.3) | NR | 818 children | 184 (21.9) | NR | 815 children | OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.75 to 1.82, P = 0.5 (12 months) | ▽ | — | — |
| 4.5.2.2 Outcome measure: % severely wasted (WHZ) < –3SD | |||||||||||
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1643 children) | 46 (5.4) | NR | 834 children | 62 (7.4) | NR | 809 children | OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.45 to 3.55, P = 0.66 (6 months) | ▽ | — | — |
| 4.5.2.3 Outcome measure: WHZ, mean (SD) | |||||||||||
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1643 children) | –1.08 (1.14) | NR | 834 children | –1.15 (1.30) | NR | 809 children | Beta‐coefficient 0.16, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.26, P = 0.004 (6 months) | ▲ | — | — |
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1633 children) | –1.08 (1.14) | NR | 818 children | –1.15 (1.30) | NR | 815 children | Beta‐coefficient 0.02, 95% CI –0.10 to 0.14, P = 0.79 (12 months) | △ | — | — |
| 4.5.3 Underweight | |||||||||||
| 4.5.3.1 Outcome measure: MUAC, mean (SD) | |||||||||||
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1643 children) | 13.8 (1.2) | NR | 834 children | 13.5 (1.2) | NR | 809 children | Beta‐coefficient –0.05, 95% CI –0.14 to 0.04, P = 0.27 (6 months) | — | — | — |
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1204 women) | 25.2 (3.2) | NR | 603 mothers | 24.3 (3.2) | NR | 601 mothers | Beta‐coefficient –0.16, 95% CI –0.38 to 0.05, P = 0.14 (6 months) | — | — | — |
| 4.5.3.2 Outcome measure: BMI, mean (SD) | |||||||||||
| Fenn 2015 (+) | cRCT (1204 women) | 20.8 (18.5 ± 24.0) | NR | 603 mothers | 20.0 (18.1 ± 22.7) | NR | 601 mothers | Beta‐coefficient 0.29, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.54, P = 0.03 (6 months) | — | — | — |
aEach triangle represents one study.
▲ = Favours the intervention, 95% CI excludes 0; △ = Unclear effect potentially favouring the intervention, 95% CI includes zero; ▼ = Favours the control, 95% CI excludes 0; ▽ = Unclear effect potentially favouring the control, 95% CI includes 0. (+): low overall risk of bias; (?): unclear overall risk of bias; (‐): high overall risk of bias.
CI: confidence interval; cRCT: cluster randomised controlled trial; FCS: Food Consumption Score; HAZ: height‐for‐age z‐score; HH: household; MUAC: mid‐upper arm circumference; n: number; NR: not reported; OR: odds ratio; RCT: randomised controlled trial; SD: standard deviation; SE: standard error; SMD: standardised mean difference.