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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04832243

List Experiment to Measure Food and Water Insecurity

List experiment to measure food and water insecurity

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

Food Deprivation Water Deprivation

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Mbarara, Uganda

About this study

Food and water insecurity are complex, multi-domain constructs. Given their known association with important health and mental health outcomes, accurate assessment of food and water insecurity in resource-limited settings is paramount. The purpose of this study is to use a list experiment methodology to assess the extent to which there is bias in conventional survey-based means of direct elicitation of food and water insecurity. The list experiment provides an indirect means to measure a particular construct of interest. It is hypothesized that social desirability may cause upward bias in conventional survey-based means of direct elicitation of food and water insecurity.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • All adults who consider Nyakabare their primary place of residence and who are capable of providing consent

Exclusion criteria

  • Minors younger than 18 years of age, with the exception of emancipated minors
  • Persons who do not consider Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence, e.g., persons who happen to be visiting Nyakabare at the time of the survey or who own a home in Nyakabare but spend most of their time outside the parish
  • Persons with psychosis, neurological damage, acute intoxication, or other cognitive impairment (all of which are determined informally in the field by non-clinical research staff in consultation with a supervisor)

Treatment and study plan

Survey questionnaire

Other

Each version of the questionnaire includes a different number of true-false statements that study participants are asked to identify.

Primary outcomes

  1. No Food Due to Lack of Money

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate even though participants are asked about the past month)

    "In the last month, was there ever no food to eat in the house because the participant lacked money to buy more?" (single item, culturally adapted from the 3-item Household Hunger Scale of USAID's Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS]; response options yes/no)

  2. No Water Due to Difficulty Collecting

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate even though participants are asked about the past month)

    "In the last month, was there ever no water in the participant's house because it was too difficult to collect more?" (single item, culturally adapted to indicate water insecurity, paralleling the 3-item Household Hunger Scale of USAID's Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS]; response options yes/no)

  3. Going to Sleep Hungry

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate even though participants are asked about the past month)

    "In the last month, did the participant or one of their household members ever go to sleep hungry because there was not enough food?" (single item, culturally adapted from the 3-item Household Hunger Scale of USAID's Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS]; response options yes/no)

  4. Going to Sleep Thirsty

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate even though participants are asked about the past month)

    "In the last month, did the participant or one of their household members ever go to sleep thirsty because there was not enough water?" (single item, culturally adapted to indicate water insecurity, paralleling the 3-item Household Hunger Scale of USAID's Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS]; response options yes/no)

  5. No Food for Entire Day

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate even though participants are asked about the past month)

    "In the last month, did the participant or one of their household members ever go an entire day and night without eating anything because there was not enough food?" (single item, culturally adapted from the 3-item Household Hunger Scale of USAID's Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS]; response options yes/no)

  6. Drink Unsafe Water

    Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate even though participants are asked about the past month)

    "In the last month, did the participant or one of their household members ever drink water that they thought might not be safe for their health?" (single item, culturally adapted to indicate water insecurity, developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Collaborators

  • Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2022
First posted
Apr 5, 2021
Registry last updated
Jun 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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