Lowering anemia in newly married women in Nepal with family group sessions and supplements
Official title: Reducing anemia among young, preconception women in Nepal through a household level group norm and behavior change intervention and micronutrient supplementation
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11372745 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses household group education with husbands and mothers-in-law plus daily micronutrient supplements to help newly married Nepali women improve nutrition and reduce anemia before pregnancy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $265,833 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD114798-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372745 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are newly married women of reproductive age in participating communities in Nepal who are not yet pregnant and whose husbands and mothers-in-law can join the sessions.
✕Less likely to help
Women who are already pregnant, living outside the participating Nepali communities, or unable/unwilling to join household group sessions are unlikely to benefit from this specific program.
What this research studies
You and other newly married women will be invited to join group sessions that include your husband and mother-in-law to learn about nutrition, women’s health, and household communication. The Sumadhur program brings triads from several households together for 16 sessions over about four months to shift household norms and behaviors. Participants will also receive micronutrient supplements during the study period and have health measures like blood tests tracked over time. The work is being tested across communities in Nepal in a two-arm cluster design to compare this combined approach with the usual approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower pre-pregnancy anemia and improve maternal and newborn health by changing household behaviors and increasing micronutrient use.
How similar studies have gone: A pilot of the Sumadhur intervention with 90 participants found the program feasible and acceptable and noted improvements in nutrition norms, but this larger trial will test health outcomes more rigorously.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Diamond-Smith, Nadia Griffi — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Diamond-Smith, Nadia Griffi
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.