Dietary DiversityCoDDYCNCT04447209
Dietary Diversity of Young Children During CoVID-19 Outbreak: A Longitudinal Study
A study testing 2-weekly Food baskets in people with Dietary Diversity, run by University of Malaya at 1 site in Malaysia.
Trial summary
The 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic has had far-reaching consequences beyond the spread of the disease. Quarantine measures during a public health pandemic can be particularly detrimental to urban poor families and affect the dietary diversity and food security. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 6 months to 6 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Dietary Diversity
- What is being tested?
- 2-weekly Food baskets
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 350 participants
- Where
- 1 siteMalaysia
- Study dates
- 6 Jun 2020to 31 Dec 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 6 months to 6 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- All well-children aged between 6 months and 6 years
Who cannot join
- Children with chronic illnesses
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Malaysia1 site
University of Malaya Medical Center
Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, 59100
About this study
The 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic has had far-reaching consequences beyond the spread of the disease. Quarantine measures during a public health pandemic can be particularly detrimental to urban poor families and affect the dietary diversity and food security. This can disproportionately affect young children aged 6 and below, and severely impact those <2 years. Sudden unemployment may result in an unexpected reduction in income that will place pressure on daily budgets for food. Children of families may not have access to foods of adequate diversity that will enable them to meet their macro and micronutrient requirements for growth and development, especially during the Movement Control Order (MCO). The study plans to monitor and evaluate dietary diversity in young children's food intake after the MCO and use the collected information to direct targeted food aid to address observed macro- and micronutrient deficiencies among the urban vulnerable group.
Read the detailed description
Children are the future to our society. The first thousand days of life, starting from conception till one's second birthday is a critical period of cognitive and physical development. It is the most sensitive period where brain development is most receptive to positive nutrition. Any form of malnutrition, especially during this golden time frame, can lead to irreversible effects to growth, health, education and future career attainment to our potential leaders, which in turn can be a barrier to human development.
The CoVID outbreak is a unique period in recent human history where drastic public health measures such as MCO for an extended period of time has to be implemented nation-wide. These measures have untold severe consequences on the food security of the vulnerable urban group, in particular the young children whose brains require diverse micronutrients to support the rapid growth. These micronutrients can only be obtained from a daily diet that is equally diverse, especially from fresh vegetables and fruits which will be short in supplies. These perishable food items are not usually included in food aids, thus the child may have to subsist on staple-rich diet which are energy-dense but nutrient-poor. These dietary practices are associated with negative health outcomes. Thus by monitoring dietary diversity of the children, we hope to better inform food aid organisations to consider the inclusion of healthier food options to prevent micronutrient deficiencies.
- Conditions
- Dietary Diversity
- Being tested
- 2-weekly Food baskets
- Keywords
- Dietary diversity, micro-nutrient adequacy, young children, urban settings, consumption of sugar sweetened foods and beverages
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
2-weekly Food basketsOther
2 weekly Food basket containing fresh foods or minimally processed foods.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Child Health Clinic (CHC) | No intervention | Control arm - Receives dietary counseling but not given food basket. |
| Community Children | Experimental | 2-weekly food basket consisting of fresh or minimally processed foods in addition to dietary counseling Receives: Other: 2-weekly Food baskets |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Minimal Dietary Diversity (MDD) of more than 5 food groups in 24 hours
Number of food groups in 24 hours
Measured: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
Consumption of fruits and vegetables, pre and post-intervention
percentage of population consuming fruits and vegetables, pre and post-intervention
Measured: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
Consumption of sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, pre and post-intervention
percentage of population consuming sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, pre and post-intervention
Measured: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
Secondary outcomes (3)
Blood hemoglobin in children at the start of study and 4 months later
Change in gram/L
Measured: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
Serum ferritin in children at the start of study and 4 months later
Change in microgram/L
Measured: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
Height and Weight z-scores, pre and post-intervention
Malnutrition
Measured: At study completion, an average of 12 months.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 Jun 2020
- Study start6 Jun 2020
- Primary completion31 Dec 2021
- Study completion31 Dec 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (6)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Dietary DiversityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of MalayaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 350 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Malaya
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Lucy Lum Chai See, University of Malaya
- Investigators
- Mohammad Y Jalaludin, MBBS MPaeds, Study director, University of Malaya Medical Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04447209
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2020410-8500
- Acronym
- CoDDYC
- Status last verified
- Feb 2025
- First submitted
- 17 Jun 2020
- Last updated
- 20 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: We will share demographic data of subject and family, baseline anthropometric measurements as well as dietary diversity of children in various locales
Publications
World Health Organization. Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices Part 1: Definitions. Geneva: WHO; 2008
Working Group on Infant and Young Child Feeding Indicators. Developing and validating simple indicators of dietary quality of infants and young children in developing countries: Additional analysis of 10 data sets. Report submitted to: the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) Project/Academy for Educational Development (AED), July 2007
Kennedy GL, Pedro MR, Seghieri C, Nantel G, Brouwer I. Dietary diversity score is a useful indicator of micronutrient intake in non-breast-feeding Filipino children. J Nutr. 2007 Feb;137(2):472-7. doi: 10.1093/jn/137.2.472.
PubMed 17237329Cusick SE, Georgieff MK. The Role of Nutrition in Brain Development: The Golden Opportunity of the "First 1000 Days". J Pediatr. 2016 Aug;175:16-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.05.013. Epub 2016 Jun 3. No abstract available.
PubMed 27266965Steyn NP, Nel JH, Nantel G, Kennedy G, Labadarios D. Food variety and dietary diversity scores in children: are they good indicators of dietary adequacy? Public Health Nutr. 2006 Aug;9(5):644-50. doi: 10.1079/phn2005912.
PubMed 16923296World Health Organization, Geneva. 2017; Global Nutritional Monitoring Framework: Operational guidance for tracking progress in meeting targets for 2025
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Dietary Diversity of Young Children During CoVID-19 Outbreak: A Longitudinal Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04447209
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CoDDYC / 2020410-8500
- Conditions
- Dietary Diversity
- Keywords
- Dietary diversity, micro-nutrient adequacy, young children, urban settings, consumption of sugar sweetened foods and beverages
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 350 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of MalayaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 6 Jun 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 25 Jun 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic has had far-reaching consequences beyond the spread of the disease. Quarantine measures during a public health pandemic can be particularly detrimental to urban poor families and affect the dietary diversity and food security. This can disproportionately affect young children aged 6 and below, and severely impact those <2 years. Sudden unemployment may result in an unexpected reduction in income that will place pressure on daily budgets for food. Children of families may not have access to foods of adequate diversity that will enable them to meet their macro and micronutrient requirements for growth and development, especially during the Movement Control Order (MCO). The study plans to monitor and evaluate dietary diversity in young children's food intake after the MCO and use the collected information to direct targeted food aid to address observed macro- and micronutrient deficiencies among the urban vulnerable group.
Detailed description
Children are the future to our society. The first thousand days of life, starting from conception till one's second birthday is a critical period of cognitive and physical development. It is the most sensitive period where brain development is most receptive to positive nutrition. Any form of malnutrition, especially during this golden time frame, can lead to irreversible effects to growth, health, education and future career attainment to our potential leaders, which in turn can be a barrier to human development.
The CoVID outbreak is a unique period in recent human history where drastic public health measures such as MCO for an extended period of time has to be implemented nation-wide. These measures have untold severe consequences on the food security of the vulnerable urban group, in particular the young children whose brains require diverse micronutrients to support the rapid growth. These micronutrients can only be obtained from a daily diet that is equally diverse, especially from fresh vegetables and fruits which will be short in supplies. These perishable food items are not usually included in food aids, thus the child may have to subsist on staple-rich diet which are energy-dense but nutrient-poor. These dietary practices are associated with negative health outcomes. Thus by monitoring dietary diversity of the children, we hope to better inform food aid organisations to consider the inclusion of healthier food options to prevent micronutrient deficiencies.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Child Health Clinic (CHC) | No intervention | –Control arm - Receives dietary counseling but not given food basket. |
| Community Children | Experimental | Other: 2-weekly Food baskets2-weekly food basket consisting of fresh or minimally processed foods in addition to dietary counseling |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 6 months to 6 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- All well-children aged between 6 months and 6 years
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Children with chronic illnesses
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 2-weekly Food baskets2 weekly Food basket containing fresh foods or minimally processed foods. | Other | Community Children |
Primary outcome
Minimal Dietary Diversity (MDD) of more than 5 food groups in 24 hours
Time frame: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
Number of food groups in 24 hours
Consumption of fruits and vegetables, pre and post-intervention
Time frame: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
percentage of population consuming fruits and vegetables, pre and post-intervention
Consumption of sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, pre and post-intervention
Time frame: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
percentage of population consuming sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, pre and post-intervention
3 secondary outcomes
Blood hemoglobin in children at the start of study and 4 months later
Time frame: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
Serum ferritin in children at the start of study and 4 months later
Time frame: At study completion, an average of 9 months.
Height and Weight z-scores, pre and post-intervention
Time frame: At study completion, an average of 12 months.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 May 2026.
- BackgroundWorld Health Organization. Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices Part 1: Definitions. Geneva: WHO; 2008
- BackgroundWorking Group on Infant and Young Child Feeding Indicators. Developing and validating simple indicators of dietary quality of infants and young children in developing countries: Additional analysis of 10 data sets. Report submitted to: the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) Project/Academy for Educational Development (AED), July 2007
- Background: PubMed 17237329Kennedy GL, Pedro MR, Seghieri C, Nantel G, Brouwer I. Dietary diversity score is a useful indicator of micronutrient intake in non-breast-feeding Filipino children. J Nutr. 2007 Feb;137(2):472-7. doi: 10.1093/jn/137.2.472.
- Background: PubMed 27266965Cusick SE, Georgieff MK. The Role of Nutrition in Brain Development: The Golden Opportunity of the "First 1000 Days". J Pediatr. 2016 Aug;175:16-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2016.05.013. Epub 2016 Jun 3. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 16923296Steyn NP, Nel JH, Nantel G, Kennedy G, Labadarios D. Food variety and dietary diversity scores in children: are they good indicators of dietary adequacy? Public Health Nutr. 2006 Aug;9(5):644-50. doi: 10.1079/phn2005912.
- BackgroundWorld Health Organization, Geneva. 2017; Global Nutritional Monitoring Framework: Operational guidance for tracking progress in meeting targets for 2025
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. We will share demographic data of subject and family, baseline anthropometric measurements as well as dietary diversity of children in various locales
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Mohammad Y Jalaludin, MBBS MPaeds study director
University of Malaya Medical Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing 2-weekly Food baskets in people with Dietary Diversity, run by University of Malaya at 1 site in Malaysia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Malaysia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Minimal Dietary Diversity (MDD) of more than 5 food groups in 24 hours (time frame: At study completion, an average of 9 months.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04447209, which also lists 6 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 May 2026.