Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocol

Malnutrition is an escalating concern in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), including Ecuador, particularly within rural settings. To address this issue, food forests emerge as a promising intervention. This research protocol outlines a controlled intervention in the province of Santa Elena, a...

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Main Authors: Marco Faytong-Haro, Alonso Quijano-Ruiz, Daniel Sanchez, Patricio Alvarez-Munoz, Stephanie Gallegos-Caamaño, Victor Yambay-Delgado, Karina Checa, María José Delgado-Rendón, Andrea Angulo-Prado
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1420310/full
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author Marco Faytong-Haro
Marco Faytong-Haro
Alonso Quijano-Ruiz
Daniel Sanchez
Daniel Sanchez
Patricio Alvarez-Munoz
Patricio Alvarez-Munoz
Stephanie Gallegos-Caamaño
Victor Yambay-Delgado
Karina Checa
María José Delgado-Rendón
Andrea Angulo-Prado
author_facet Marco Faytong-Haro
Marco Faytong-Haro
Alonso Quijano-Ruiz
Daniel Sanchez
Daniel Sanchez
Patricio Alvarez-Munoz
Patricio Alvarez-Munoz
Stephanie Gallegos-Caamaño
Victor Yambay-Delgado
Karina Checa
María José Delgado-Rendón
Andrea Angulo-Prado
author_sort Marco Faytong-Haro
collection DOAJ
description Malnutrition is an escalating concern in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), including Ecuador, particularly within rural settings. To address this issue, food forests emerge as a promising intervention. This research protocol outlines a controlled intervention in the province of Santa Elena, aiming to evaluate the efficacy of a food forest in enhancing nutritional outcomes, with potential implications for broader replication. The study will be conducted in the Colonche Parish of Santa Elena Canton, where one commune will be randomly selected to receive the food forest intervention. In contrast, another similarly characterized commune, also randomly selected through cluster-based sampling, will serve as a control group, receiving no intervention. This randomized, comparative approach will enable a more precise assessment of the food forest's impact. Data collection will occur at three intervals: baseline, 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention. Comprehensive questionnaires will be employed to measure the food forest's influence on the communities' nutritional, economic, and health metrics, distinguishing between the intervention and control communes to elucidate the intervention's specific effects.
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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spelling doaj-art-0ce93c8b408d4c919ab16dd7fdfb8d632025-08-20T02:32:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-12-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.14203101420310Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocolMarco Faytong-Haro0Marco Faytong-Haro1Alonso Quijano-Ruiz2Daniel Sanchez3Daniel Sanchez4Patricio Alvarez-Munoz5Patricio Alvarez-Munoz6Stephanie Gallegos-Caamaño7Victor Yambay-Delgado8Karina Checa9María José Delgado-Rendón10Andrea Angulo-Prado11Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondon, EcuadorResearch Department, Ecuadorian Development Research Lab, Daule, EcuadorResearch Department, Ecuadorian Development Research Lab, Daule, EcuadorResearch Department, Ecuadorian Development Research Lab, Daule, EcuadorDepartment of Economics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, CanadaDepartment of Statistics, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, SpainFacultad de Ciencias Sociales, Educación Comercial y Derecho, Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Milagro, EcuadorResearch Department, Ecuadorian Development Research Lab, Daule, EcuadorFacultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondon, EcuadorCommunity Engagement Department, CECAPROF Corporación Ecuatoriana De Capacitación, Guayaquil, EcuadorCentro de Investigación, Instituto Superior Tecnológico Argos, Guayaquil, EcuadorCentro de Investigación, Instituto Superior Tecnológico Argos, Guayaquil, EcuadorMalnutrition is an escalating concern in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), including Ecuador, particularly within rural settings. To address this issue, food forests emerge as a promising intervention. This research protocol outlines a controlled intervention in the province of Santa Elena, aiming to evaluate the efficacy of a food forest in enhancing nutritional outcomes, with potential implications for broader replication. The study will be conducted in the Colonche Parish of Santa Elena Canton, where one commune will be randomly selected to receive the food forest intervention. In contrast, another similarly characterized commune, also randomly selected through cluster-based sampling, will serve as a control group, receiving no intervention. This randomized, comparative approach will enable a more precise assessment of the food forest's impact. Data collection will occur at three intervals: baseline, 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention. Comprehensive questionnaires will be employed to measure the food forest's influence on the communities' nutritional, economic, and health metrics, distinguishing between the intervention and control communes to elucidate the intervention's specific effects.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1420310/fullfood forestnutritionrural areaEcuadorinterventionpre-post study
spellingShingle Marco Faytong-Haro
Marco Faytong-Haro
Alonso Quijano-Ruiz
Daniel Sanchez
Daniel Sanchez
Patricio Alvarez-Munoz
Patricio Alvarez-Munoz
Stephanie Gallegos-Caamaño
Victor Yambay-Delgado
Karina Checa
María José Delgado-Rendón
Andrea Angulo-Prado
Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocol
Frontiers in Public Health
food forest
nutrition
rural area
Ecuador
intervention
pre-post study
title Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocol
title_full Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocol
title_fullStr Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocol
title_full_unstemmed Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocol
title_short Randomized community trial to assess nutritional, socioeconomic, and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in Santa Elena Province, Ecuador: a study protocol
title_sort randomized community trial to assess nutritional socioeconomic and health outcomes of a food forest initiative in santa elena province ecuador a study protocol
topic food forest
nutrition
rural area
Ecuador
intervention
pre-post study
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1420310/full
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