Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39943936›Full record

Trial reportJournal of nutritional science2025

The effect of psychosocial stimulation on the development, nutrition, and treatment outcomes of hospitalised children with severe acute malnutrition in Southern Ethiopia: a cluster randomised control trial: EPSoSAMC study.

Tesfalem Teshome Tessema, Andamlak Gizaw Alamdo, Eyoel B Mekonnen, Tewodros G Yirtaw, Fanna A Debele, Teklu Gemechu, Tefera Belachew

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of nutritional science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Tesfalem Teshome TessemaSchool of Public Health, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Andamlak Gizaw AlamdoSchool of Public Health, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Eyoel B MekonnenSchool of Public Health, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Tewodros G YirtawSchool of Public Health, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Fanna A DebeleSchool of Public Health, St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Teklu GemechuJimma University College of Education, Jimma, Ethiopia.
Tefera BelachewJimma University College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics, Jimma, Ethiopia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Psychosocial stimulation is one of the recommended interventions in the management of hospitalised children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM). However, there is currently limited scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of the intervention. The study aimed to examine the effects of psychosocial stimulation on the development, nutrition, and treatment outcomes of hospitalised SAM children. A cluster-randomised controlled trial was conducted among health facilities that provide inpatient care for children with SAM in Silti Zone, Ethiopia. Fifty-eight children enrolled in the intervention facilities were provided stimulation intervention during their inpatient care and for 6 months after discharge. Sixty-eight children enrolled from control health facilities received routine inpatient care without stimulation and were followed for six months. Health education was provided to all caregivers on child health-related topics. Child development and nutrition outcomes were assessed four times using Denver II-Jimma and anthropometric measurements while the length of hospitalisation was used to measure treatment outcome. Children in the intervention group showed significantly better scores in Personal Social (p=0.001, effect size=0.77), Fine Motor (p=0.001, effect size=1.87), and Gross Motor (p=0.001, effect size=0.78) developmental domains from baseline to end line. Language domain however showed a significant difference only after discharge and intervention children scored better at six months (p<0.001, effect size=0.59). The intervention significantly improved treatment outcomes (p=0.010), but no significant changes in nutritional outcomes were documented. The findings highlighted the benefits of the intervention and the need to promote these interventions in health facilities within resource-limited settings.

Indexed as

Child DevelopmentChild, HospitalizedNutritional StatusSevere Acute MalnutritionCaregiversChild, PreschoolEthiopiaFemaleHealth EducationHospitalizationHumansInfantMaleTreatment OutcomeDevelopmentEDHS, Ethiopia Demographic and Health SurveyFM, Fine MotorFMoH, Federal Ministry of HealthFNP, Food and Nutrition PolicyGEE, Generalised Estimating EquationsGLM, Generalised Linear ModelGM, Gross MotorHFIAS, Household Food Insecurity Access ScaleLA, LanguageLMM, Linear Mixed ModelMalnourished ChildrenNutritionPS, Personal SocialPsychosocial-StimulationSAM, Severe Acute MalnutritionSDG, Sustainable Development GoalSD, Standard DeviationTreatment outcomesWAZ, Weight-for-Age -Z scoreWHO, World Health OrganizationWHZ, Weight for Height Z score

Identifiers

PMID39943936
PMCPMC11811844

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.