Evaluation of a community health worker home visit intervention to improve child development in South Africa: A cluster-randomized controlled trial

This dataset was collected as part of a cluster-randomized controlled trial that evaluated the impact of a home visit intervention on child development in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Household survey data were collected at baseline and endline. In a subsample of children, neural function was assessed at a lab at endline and at two interim time points. Primary outcomes were: height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) and stunting; child development scores measured using the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT); absolute electroencephalography (EEG) gamma and total power; relative EEG gamma power; and saccadic reaction time (SRT)—an eye-tracking measure of visual processing speed.

Methods
Household survey data were collected from 1,095 caregiver-child dyads residing in 51 clusters at baseline (2017) and from 764 dyads remaining enrolled at endline (2021). At endline, child height was measured and child development was assessed using the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT). EEG and eye-tracking assessments were conducted among a subset of children at centrally located at endline and at two interim time points. In total, 316 dyads attended the first lab visit, 316 dyads the second lab visit, and 284 dyads the third lab visit.