Promoting Infant-Directed Speech in Ghana

Last registered on May 15, 2018

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Promoting Infant-Directed Speech in Ghana
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0002943
Initial registration date
May 14, 2018

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 15, 2018, 2:45 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Northwestern University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
MIT/J-PAL
PI Affiliation
Stanford University

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2018-06-04
End date
2024-01-31
Secondary IDs
Abstract
This study evaluates a low-cost intervention aimed at encouraging mothers and other caregivers to converse with their infants as a way of promoting language and brain development. In our study setting of Ghana, as in many developing countries, the practice of "infant-directed speech" is not common and its value for child development is not fully appreciated by parents. We developed a short (3-minute) animated video that encourages the viewer to talk to, sing to, and read to her babies, and to encourage family members to do so as well. A randomly selected subset of study participants are shown this video. Half of the treatment group is additionally given a calendar with images and messages from the video as a way to keep the message salient and to facilitate common knowledge in her household about these lessons. We will measure the impact of the interventions on child development and language skill approximately 4 years after the intervention.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Dupas, Pascaline, Seema Jayachandran and Mark Walsh. 2018. "Promoting Infant-Directed Speech in Ghana." AEA RCT Registry. May 15. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.2943-1.0
Former Citation
Dupas, Pascaline, Seema Jayachandran and Mark Walsh. 2018. "Promoting Infant-Directed Speech in Ghana." AEA RCT Registry. May 15. https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/2943/history/29522
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
(1) 3-minute animated video that encourages the viewer to talk to, sing to, and read to her babies, and to encourage family members to do so (2) Printed calendar with images and messages from the video (and information on how to watch the video again online)
Intervention Start Date
2018-06-04
Intervention End Date
2018-09-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Children's language development
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Frequency/intensity/type of infant-directed speech that the mother and other family members engaged in.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The study will enroll a subsample of respondents to the "Ghana Panel Survey" (PI: Christopher Udry). Specifically, the sample for this study will be the approximately 2000 women age 18 to 40 who speak one of the following languages: English, Asante, Akaupem, Fanti, Ewe, Dagbani, Kokomba, Wali/Dagari, Frafra/Gruni or Dangme. At most one woman will be sampled per household. 40% of participants will be assigned to the control group and 60% will be shown the video (more precisely, offered to be shown the video) during the 2018 survey visit for the Ghana Panel Survey. This treatment group will be subdivided in half; half will receive a calendar with images and messages from the video and information on where to access the video online.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Computer
Randomization Unit
Woman
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
2000 enrolled. Note that the analysis sample will be restricted to those women who had an infant at baseline or gave birth between baseline and endline. (The outcome of child development is not relevant if the woman does not have any children at endline, for example.)
Sample size: planned number of observations
2000
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
600 women in video + calendar arm
600 women in video only arm
800 women in control group
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Ghana
IRB Approval Date
2017-03-08
IRB Approval Number
027/08-09
IRB Name
Northwestern University
IRB Approval Date
2017-09-22
IRB Approval Number
STU00206015

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials