Debre Birhan

Malnutrition, including both undernutrition and overnutrition, is a growing public health challenge among children under five years old, especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. This research aims to assess how selected double-duty interventions can impact the double burden of malnutrition in children under five in Debre Berhan City, Ethiopia. The study focuses on integrated nutrition behavior change communication to address these contrasting forms of malnutrition simultaneously. The study uses behavioral double-duty intervention packages based on WHO guidelines and research by Hawkes et al. These interventions promote minimum dietary diversity, discourage harmful high-energy foods, and regulate market foods from a consumer perspective. The trial is designed as a one-year, two-arm parallel cluster randomized controlled trial with clusters as the unit of randomization. Participants will be 456 children under five years old divided into two groups, followed from January 25, 2023, to December 30, 2023. Researchers will monitor the proportion of children affected by double burden of malnutrition, dietary diversity scores, and frequency of illness over 10 months. The study aims to measure improvements in nutrition and health outcomes through these integrated interventions.