Food DeprivationNCT04832243
List Experiment to Measure Food and Water Insecurity
A study testing Survey questionnaire in people with Food Deprivation and Water Deprivation, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in Uganda.
Trial summary
List experiment to measure food and water insecurity Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Food Deprivation, Water Deprivation
- What is being tested?
- Survey questionnaire
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,550 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUganda
- Study dates
- 12 Feb 2021to 15 Aug 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- All adults who consider Nyakabare their primary place of residence and who are capable of providing consent
Who cannot join
- 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)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
List experiment to measure food and water insecurity
Read the detailed description
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.
- Conditions
- Food Deprivation, Water Deprivation
- Being tested
- Survey questionnaire
- Keywords
- Food Insecurity, Water Insecurity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Survey questionnaireOther
Each version of the questionnaire includes a different number of true-false statements that study participants are asked to identify.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: V1: List No. 1 | Experimental | As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. The first version of the questionnaire includes 6 sets of 3 true-false statements that are innocuous and contextually applicable (e.g., weather, cultural norms) such that there is a low likelihood that the participant will answer untruthfully. The statements on food and water insecurity that are included in the experimental version are omitted. Receives: Other: Survey questionnaire |
| Experimental: V2: List No. 2 | Experimental | As this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. The second version of the questionnaire includes 6 sets of 4 true-false statements that are innocuous and contextually applicable (e.g., weather, cultural norms) such that there is a low likelihood that the participant will answer untruthfully for 3 of the true-false statements. One statement in each set relates to food and water insecurity and is designed to determine the extent to which social desirability bias may influence responses to food and water insecurity questions. Receives: Other: Survey questionnaire |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
No Food Due to Lack of Money
"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)
Measured: 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)
No Water Due to Difficulty Collecting
"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)
Measured: 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)
Going to Sleep Hungry
"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)
Measured: 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)
Going to Sleep Thirsty
"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)
Measured: 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)
No Food for Entire Day
"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)
Measured: 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)
Drink Unsafe Water
"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)
Measured: 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)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Apr 2021
- Study start12 Feb 2021
- Primary completion15 Aug 2022
- Study completion15 Aug 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Food DeprivationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 1,550 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Alexander Tsai, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Investigators
- Alexander C Tsai, MD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04832243
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2013P000395_2
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Apr 2021
- Last updated
- 1 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- List Experiment to Measure Food and Water Insecurity
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04832243
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2013P000395_2
- Conditions
- Food Deprivation, Water Deprivation
- Keywords
- Food Insecurity, Water Insecurity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,550 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology
- Study start
- 12 Feb 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Aug 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Aug 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Apr 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
List experiment to measure food and water insecurity
Detailed description
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: V1: List No. 1 | Experimental | Other: Survey questionnaireAs this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. The first version of the questionnaire includes 6 sets of 3 true-false statements that are innocuous and contextually applicable (e.g., weather, cultural norms) such that there is a low likelihood that the participant will answer untruthfully. The statements on food and water insecurity that are included in the experimental version are omitted. |
| Experimental: V2: List No. 2 | Experimental | Other: Survey questionnaireAs this is a survey experiment, the "intervention" involves random assignment to a survey questionnaire with specific wording. The second version of the questionnaire includes 6 sets of 4 true-false statements that are innocuous and contextually applicable (e.g., weather, cultural norms) such that there is a low likelihood that the participant will answer untruthfully for 3 of the true-false statements. One statement in each set relates to food and water insecurity and is designed to determine the extent to which social desirability bias may influence responses to food and water insecurity questions. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- All adults who consider Nyakabare their primary place of residence and who are capable of providing consent
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- 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)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Survey questionnaireEach version of the questionnaire includes a different number of true-false statements that study participants are asked to identify. | Other | Experimental: V1: List No. 1, Experimental: V2: List No. 2 |
Primary outcome
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Alexander C Tsai, MD principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Survey questionnaire in people with Food Deprivation and Water Deprivation, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in Uganda.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Uganda. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
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)). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Jun 2026.