The Contribution of Health in Utero to Capacity Formation, Education and Economic Outcomes: Experimental Evidence From Tanzania (CDS)
| Tracking Information | |
|---|---|
| First Received Date ICMJE | August 8, 2011 |
| Last Updated Date | August 8, 2011 |
| Start Date ICMJE | April 2002 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date | September 2012 (final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
| Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE |
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| Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE | Same as current |
| Change History | No Changes Posted |
| Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE |
Parental Labor Force Participation [ Time Frame: During 2011-2012 (1 year) ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ] Parent's labor force outcomes: labor status, wages, type of job |
| Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE | Same as current |
| Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE | Not Provided |
| Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE | Not Provided |
| Descriptive Information | |
| Brief Title ICMJE | The Contribution of Health in Utero to Capacity Formation, Education and Economic Outcomes: Experimental Evidence From Tanzania |
| Official Title ICMJE | The Contribution of Health in Utero to Capacity Formation, Education and Economic Outcomes: Experimental Evidence From Tanzania |
| Brief Summary | Because of the high returns of schooling in developing countries, policymakers pay a lot of attention to increasing school access. But if the mother is deficient in folic acid, brain development in utero can biologically constrain children's demand for education. Using a more scientifically credible research design than has been used in previous research, the investigators examine how reductions in micronutrient deficiency (specifically for folic acid, B6, and B12) in utero affect subsequent child schooling attainment in Tanzania. The investigators also look at the extent to which parents allocate resources to compensate for or to reinforce inequalities in children's cognitive endowments. To execute this strategy, the investigators follow up on a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with micronutrient supplements offered to HIV-negative pregnant women in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, between 2001 to 2003. |
| Detailed Description | Previous research estimates microeconomic returns to education as high as 42 percent per annum in Botswana (for primary education) and 47.6 percent per annum in Zimbabwe (for secondary education). These large returns have stimulated a concerted effort in investing in education to stimulate growth. This project focuses on a mechanism that affects educational attainment through in utero nutritional environment. While most micronutrient deficiencies can be resolved through improvements in economic outcomes by increasing caloric intake, deficiency in utero for four nutrients in particular (B6, B9, B12, and iodine) has been biologically linked to irreversible and continuous damage to a person's lifetime cognitive development. In Tanzania, as in other sub-Saharan African countries, the dietary intake of nutrients by pregnant women is marginal or lower than recommended and therefore these women are at high risk for deficiencies. However, unlike general nutrition shortages in utero that can lead to lower educational attainment, increased rates of physical disability, lower income and lower socioeconomic status, fetal deficiency in B6, B12, and B9 (folic acid) permanently limits intellectual ability. Thus, the impact of this particular deficiency is likely to be particularly acute and persistent throughout a person's lifetime. |
| Study Type ICMJE | Interventional |
| Study Phase | Phase 4 |
| Study Design ICMJE | Allocation: Randomized Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor) Primary Purpose: Basic Science |
| Condition ICMJE | We Focus on the Effect of Folic Acid on Cognitive Development, Educational Outcomes and Parental Behavior. |
| Intervention ICMJE | Drug: Folic Acid
Pill, 0.6mg given in 2002-2004, duration of pregnancy |
| Study Arm (s) |
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| Publications * | Not Provided |
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* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline. |
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| Recruitment Information | |
| Recruitment Status ICMJE | Active, not recruiting |
| Estimated Enrollment ICMJE | 1200 |
| Estimated Completion Date | June 2013 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date | September 2012 (final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
| Eligibility Criteria ICMJE | Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Gender | Female |
| Ages | 18 Years to 49 Years |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers | Yes |
| Contacts ICMJE | Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects |
| Location Countries ICMJE | Tanzania |
| Administrative Information | |
| NCT Number ICMJE | NCT01412580 |
| Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE | F19899-101 |
| Has Data Monitoring Committee | No |
| Responsible Party | Plamen Nikolov, Harvard University |
| Study Sponsor ICMJE | Harvard University |
| Collaborators ICMJE | Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences |
| Investigators ICMJE | Not Provided |
| Information Provided By | Harvard University |
| Verification Date | October 2010 |
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ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP |
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