The Safe Start Trial - Kisumu, Kenya
![]() |
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03468114 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : March 16, 2018
Last Update Posted : August 21, 2019
|
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Enteric Infections Diarrhea | Behavioral: Safe Start Behavioral: Active Control | Not Applicable |
Enteric infections remain a major threat to child health and development in many low and middle-income countries. Globally, diarrhoeal disease - a key health consequence of enteric infection - is ranked as the fourth leading cause of disability globally, after ischaemic heart disease, lower respiratory tract infections and strokes. Diarrhoeal disease persists as the second leading cause of child deaths in the world, and in sub-Saharan Africa is the leading cause of child deaths.
Public health efforts to address diarrhoeal disease have largely focused on improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation and promoting hand washing with soap to address faecal-oral routes of transmission. These interventions though may not effectively address all exposure pathways during early life, when young children are most susceptible to infection and the diarrhoeal disease burden is greatest. One potentially important exposure pathway is infant food which recent studies conducted in low income, high burden settings suggest may be highly contaminated and may be amenable to simple behaviour change interventions.
The Safe Start trial will evaluate the effect of a novel food hygiene intervention on infant health implemented in low income urban neighbourhoods of Kisumu, Kenya. The intervention is designed to target early childhood exposure to enteric pathogens through contaminated food and was developed through an earlier phase of formative behavioural and microbiological research. The intervention will target infant caregivers and be delivered through the Community Health Volunteer (CHV) health extension system. Four key behaviours will be addressed by the intervention:
- Safe hand hygiene: handwashing with soap before infant food preparation and feeding
- Safe food preparation: bringing all infant food to the boil before feeding, including when reheating
- Safe storage of food: storing all infant food in sealed containers
- Safe feeding: reserving specific feeding utensils for the infant and keeping these separate and clean
A cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) design will be used to evaluate the intervention with each CHV catchment area forming one cluster. The outcomes of interest for this study are as follows: (1) the prevalence of enteric infections among infants at 37 weeks of age (primary); (2) the longitudinal prevalence of diarrhoea between 22-37 weeks of age (primary); and (3) incidence of all-cause mortality between 22-37 weeks of age. Infants will be recruited on a rolling basis at 22 weeks of age (+/- 1 week), and data and/or samples collected at 3 points: baseline at 22 weeks of age (+/- 1 week); midline at 33 weeks of age (+/- 1 week); and endline at 37 weeks of age (+/- 1 week). Stool samples will be collected at baseline and endline and analysed for 23 genetic sequences indicating the presence of enteric pathogens known to cause childhood diarrhoea in low income, high burden settings.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 880 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Masking Description: | Outcome assessors are not informed of allocation but would likely infer this from the presence of highly visible domestic products that are part of the intervention. Lab technicians and data analysts are masked to allocation status. |
Primary Purpose: | Prevention |
Official Title: | The Safe Start Trial: a Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial for the Effect of a Food Hygiene Intervention on Infant Enteric Infections and Diarrhoeal Disease in Low-income Informal Settlements of Kisumu, Kenya. |
Actual Study Start Date : | March 26, 2018 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | May 9, 2019 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | June 22, 2019 |
Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Intervention
Participant households will receive 4 visits by health extension workers delivering intervention
|
Behavioral: Safe Start
Participant households will receive four visits over a 10 week period from health extension workers promoting safe food preparation, storage and feeding, and will be provided with products to support these practices (a bowl, spoon, cup, hand washing station, liquid soap dispenser). |
Active Comparator: Control
Participant households will receive 4 visits by health extension workers delivering standard care
|
Behavioral: Active Control
Participant households will receive 4 visits by health extension workers delivering standard care |
- Enteric infection prevalence [ Time Frame: At 37 weeks of age (+/- 1 week) ]Enteric infections are defined as the presence of enteric pathogens in stool as indicated by 1 or more of these 23 genetic sequences: Shigella/EIEC virulence plasmid, EAEC_aaic, EAEC_aata, EPEC_eae, EPEC_bfpa, ETEC_LT, ETEC_STp_STh, EHEC Escherichia coli 0157, Aeromonas, Vibrio cholerae, Campylobacter jejuni/C. coli, Clostridium difficile, and Salmonella enterica), Adenovirus 40/41, Adenovirus Hexon, Norovirus GI, Norovirus GII, and Rotavirus and broad reactive Cryptosporidium_18s, C. hominus, C. parvum, and Giardia assemblages A & B.
- Diarrhoeal disease longitudinal prevalence [ Time Frame: Between 22 and 37 weeks of age (+/- 1 week) ]Longitudinal prevalence is defined by days with diarrhoea during follow-up with diarrhoea defined according to WHO definition (3 or more loose or liquid stools passed within 24 hours)
- All-cause mortality incidence [ Time Frame: Between 22 and 37 weeks of age (+/- 1 week) ]Deaths occurring during follow-up due to any cause

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 21 Weeks to 23 Weeks (Child) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Infant is 21-23 weeks of age at enrolment
- Infant's mother residing within catchment of participating health extension worker at time of enrolment and intends to stay in current dwelling at least until infant reaches 37 weeks of age
Exclusion Criteria:
- Infant with any medical, psychiatric or social condition which, in the opinion of the research team, impedes the participant's ability to give informed consent

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03468114
Kenya | |
Great Lakes University Kisumu | |
Kisumu, Kenya |
Principal Investigator: | Oliver Cumming, MSc | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine | |
Principal Investigator: | Jane Mumma, PhD | Great Lakes University Kisumu |
Responsible Party: | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT03468114 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
14695 |
First Posted: | March 16, 2018 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | August 21, 2019 |
Last Verified: | August 2019 |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Infections Diarrhea Signs and Symptoms, Digestive |