Evaluating the Implementation and Scale-Up of Nigeria National Sodium Reduction Program

Northwestern University will use the funds allotted to provide support to the University of Abuja and project multiple principal investigator, Dr. Dike Ojji, based on the stated aims of the proposal. Dr. Van Horn will serve as site PI for Northwestern and provide oversight, technical support, and guidance related to population and retail surveys based on her nutritional epidemiology expertise. Dr. Hirschhorn will provide oversight, technical support, and guidance related to formative and implementation research methods, The team commits to regular video and teleconferencing, annual travel to investigator meetings in the United States and sub-Saharan Africa, and annual field visits to Nigeria for research, research training, implementation and dissemination activities. The support will be related to each of the 3 aims. For Aim 1, the investigators will “investigate feasibility, facilitators, opportunities, barriers, and context for implementation and scale-up of Nigeria’s national sodium reduction program” outlined in the proposal, the support will include mixed formative research methods (qualitative and quantitative) and training in those methods through distance learning, research mentorship, and field experience. For Aim 2, the investigators will “measure implementation, scale-up, and implementation costs of Nigeria’s national sodium reduction program,” the support will include protocol development, support for data collection and management, data analysis, intervention implementation and training, and assessment of implementation outcomes. For Aim 3, the investigators will “evaluate baseline and temporal changes in dietary sources of sodium, dietary sodium consumption, and sodium in the Nigerian food supply measured by through cross-sectional surveys,” the support will include mixed methods assessment of effectiveness outcomes.