Efficacy of Mobile Health Application in Promotion of Exclusive Breast Feeding and Young Child Feeding Practices in Pakistan
Recruiting now · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Malnutrition, Infant, Malnutrition, Child
In brief
Early life nutrition is the key modifiable determinant of child growth, development, survival and diseases of adult onset. Pakistan ranks highest for neonatal mortality rate (44.2/1000 live births (LBs)) globally. One third of under-five deaths (74.9/1000 LBs) are attributable to high prevalence of stunting (38%), underweight (23%) and wasting (7%), greatly related to feeding practices. Given the low prevalence of exclusively breast fed (EBF) (48%) and use of minimum acceptable diet (13%), mitigation of early life nutritional risk through promotion of EBF and Young Child Feeding Practices (YCFP) provides a critical window of opportunity for intervention. Secondary Care Hospitals (SCH) of the Aga Khan Health Services Pakistan provide essential maternal and child health services for low-middle income population. Babies born at these SCHs are followed up for vaccination, growth-monitoring and other services at the closely affiliated Family Health Centers (FHCs) run by Lady Health Visitors (LHVs). We aim to examine the effectiveness of a locally designed m-Health application for empowering mothers for child nutritional care as a potentially sustainable approach. The first six months of formative research would identify perceptions, barriers and facilitators for EBF and YCFP using self-determination behavioral theory, among multi-parous pregnant mothers enrolled at three SCHs of Karachi. A randomization trial would be conducted during next 18 months among near-term pregnant women who have access to smart-phones. A culturally appropriate mhealth application called first diet would be developed to provide personalized push messages delivered weekly by the LHVs. Non-intervention group will receive face-face nutritional counselling by the research staff at FHC following routine vaccination and growth-monitoring schedule. Mothers would followed-up from one month prior to expected delivery to child's first birthday. We expect 20% improvement in rates of EBF and YCFP with m-Health intervention. If proven effective, m-health would be incorporated in routine child care provision by LHVs.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT05590351
- Run by
- Aga Khan University
- People needed
- 300
- Starts
- 2026-02-02
- Expected to finish
- 2027-12-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-02-12
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 48. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Pregnant women in the third trimester at 36 +/- 1 week of gestation.
- Planned to stay in their respective areas for at least 1 year after delivery
- Planned to get the infant immunized from the respective FHC of the hospitals.
- Have access to smart phones with internet connection.
- Registered and planning to deliver to any of the Secondary Care Hospitals
- Can read and write in local language (English and/or Urdu).
- Consent to participate and remain in the study until 1 year of child age
You may not qualify if…
- High-risk including maternal neurological/heart/ autoimmune/renal disease, preeclampsia, placenta previa, multiple gestations (twins/triplets), fetal structural/genetic anomalies, fetal growth restrictions, and birth trauma/requiring NICU admission.
- Women who plan to move to different location after delivery
Where it is running
- The Aga Khan University — Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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