(P23-29-26) Healthy Baby Toolkit During Pregnancy in Ethiopia: Baseline Characteristics and Intervention Uptake From a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: To describe the baseline characteristics of pregnant women enrolled in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the Healthy Mother Healthy Baby Toolkit (HMHBT) and to assess uptake of the intervention during pregnancy

Methods: We conducted a single-blind randomized controlled trial in Ethiopia among 594 pregnant women ≤20 weeks’ gestation, randomized to receive either the Healthy Mother Healthy Baby Toolkit (HMHBT) or standard of care. The HMHBT included a customized bowl with portion markings, and counseling cards promoting appropriate meal quantity, frequency, dietary diversity, and hygiene practices. Baseline data on maternal anthropometry, sociodemographic characteristics, and dietary intake were collected at enrollment. Toolkit uptake, including possession and use of the bowl and spoon and participants’ experiences, was assessed during pregnancy and 4 months postpartum. Descriptive statistics summarized the data, and between-group differences were tested using Student’s t-tests and chi-square tests.

Results: Baseline maternal and household characteristics were comparable between groups (p >0.05). The overall mean maternal age was 26.0 ± 5.7 years, and the mean gestational age at enrollment was 12.4 weeks. The mean maternal BMI was 21.0 ± 2.8 kg/m², and 19% of mothers were underweight. Approximately one-third of women had secondary education or higher, and 13% had no formal education. Household food insecurity was common, affecting 57.2% of households. Self-reported bowl use was high in the HMHBT group. During mid-pregnancy, bowl use was most commonly reported as several times per week (52.9%), once daily (21.0%), about once per week (13.2%), or once a month or less (12.9%); similar patterns were observed postpartum (57.5%, 25.3%, 10.9%, and 6.3%, respectively). Most women reported changes in eating habits or health after using the toolkit at both time points (80.7% during pregnancy and 82.4% postpartum). The commonly reported changes were improved perceived health (41.3%) and better eating habits (38.0%), followed by weight gain (12.2%) and increased appetite (8.5%).

Conclusions: Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups, indicating successful randomization. Adherence to the HMHBT toolkit components demonstrated the toolkit's good feasibility and acceptability.

Funding Sources: Agency Fund