Vaccination of household chickens results in a shift in young children’s diet and improves child growth in rural Kenya

Elkanah Otiang, Jonathan Yoder, Shanthi Manian (), Zoë A. Campbell, Samuel M. Thumbi, Lucy W. Njagi, Philip N. Nyaga and Guy H. Palmer
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Elkanah Otiang: a College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;; b Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu 40100, Kenya;; c Washington State University Global Health–Kenya, Nairobi 72938-00200, Kenya;
Jonathan Yoder: d Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164;; e School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164;
Zoë A. Campbell: f International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;
Samuel M. Thumbi: a College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;; b Center for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu 40100, Kenya;; c Washington State University Global Health–Kenya, Nairobi 72938-00200, Kenya;; d Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164;
Lucy W. Njagi: a College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;
Philip N. Nyaga: a College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 00100, Kenya;
Guy H. Palmer: c Washington State University Global Health–Kenya, Nairobi 72938-00200, Kenya;; d Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164;; g University of Nairobi Institute of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Nairobi 72938-00200, Kenya

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2022, vol. 119, issue 24, e2122389119

Abstract: This randomized, controlled trial demonstrates that by relieving a constraint on household nutritional assets, here through reducing chicken mortality through vaccination, households make dietary choices for young children that increase consumption of protein- and micronutrient-rich foods and decrease relative consumption of high-carbohydrate, low-protein grains. The study provides causal evidence that this shift in diet results in improved height for age, a key measure of childhood stunting. Given the high prevalence of childhood growth failure in rural Africa, these results highlight the potential to increase the utility of a common household animal asset to reduce the burden of childhood stunting in these communities.

Keywords: child growth; nutrition; household decisions; animal source foods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nas:journl:v:119:y:2022:p:e2122389119

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