Locally Produced Cereal/Nut/Legume-Based Biscuits Versus Peanut/Milk-Based Spread for Treatment of Moderately to Mildly Wasted Children in Daily Programmes on Nias Island, Indonesia: An Issue of Acceptance and Compliance?

Background: Treatment effects of fortified ready-to-use foods for moderately to mildly wasted children are largely unknown. Methods: Two nutritionally comparable forms of locally produced ready-to-use foods for daily feeding programmes of moderately to mildly wasted children (weight-for-height Z-score/WHZ>=-3 to =-1.5SD, compliance to the ready-touse food programme, and weight gain until recovery or programme closure among children treated with peanut/ milk-based spreads (n=29) were compared among children receiving cereal/nut/legume-based biscuits (n=44) and a second group treated with cereal/nut/legume-based biscuits whose mothers received intensive nutrition education (n=38). Results: Children in the cereal/nut/legume-based biscuits groups were younger (31 and 33 vs 39 months, p=0.004) and more likely to be moderately wasted (45 and 39 vs 21% with WHZ80%) to the ready-to-use (86 and 84 vs 45%, p=-1.5SD (all p