{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,2]],"date-time":"2026-10-02T21:21:55Z","timestamp":1790976115920,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,30]],"date-time":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1617062400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: In most sub-Saharan African countries iron deficiency anaemia remains highly prevalent in children and this has not changed in the last 25 years. Supplementation with iron hydroxide adipate tartrate (IHAT) was being investigated in anaemic children in a phase two clinical trial (termed IHAT-GUT), conducted at the Medical Research Council Unit the Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) (abbreviated as MRCG hereof). This qualitative study aimed to explore the personal perceptions of the trial staff in relation to conducting a clinical trial in such settings in order to highlight the health system specific needs and strengths in the rural, resource-poor setting of the Upper River Region in the Gambia. Methods: Individual interviews (n = 17) were conducted with local trial staff of the IHAT-GUT trial. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Potential barriers and facilitators to conducting this clinical trial were identified at the patient, staff, and trial management levels. Several challenges, such as the rural location and cultural context, were identified but noted as not being long-term inhibitors. Participants believed the facilitators and benefits outnumbered the barriers, and included the impact on education and healthcare, the ambitious and knowledgeable locally recruited staff, and the local partnership. Conclusions: While facilitators and barriers were identified to conducting this clinical trial in a rural, resource-poor setting, the overall impact was perceived as beneficial, and this study is a useful example of community involvement and partnership for further health improvement programs. To effectively implement a nutrition intervention, the local health systems and context must be carefully considered through qualitative research beforehand.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13041140","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,30]],"date-time":"2021-03-30T09:57:04Z","timestamp":1617098224000},"page":"1140","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["The IHAT-GUT Iron Supplementation Trial in Rural Gambia: Barriers, Facilitators, and Benefits"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2023-7614","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabella","family":"Stelle","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Medicine, Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 6BT, UK"},{"name":"Women and Children\u2019s Health Department, Division of Medicine, King\u2019s College London (KCL), London SE1 7EH, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5122-0156","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorraine K.","family":"McDonagh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London (UCL), London NW3 2PF, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ilias","family":"Hossain","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Research Council Unit the Gambia at the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5775-3984","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anastasia Z.","family":"Kalea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Medicine, Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 6BT, UK"},{"name":"Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London (UCL), London WC1E 6BT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dora I. A.","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Research Council Unit the Gambia at the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia"},{"name":"Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"GBD 2016 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators (2017). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990\u20132016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. 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