Objectives: This paper describes the ecological and cultural backdrop of the subjects enrolled in an experimental study to test the validity of a conceptual model about the intellectual delay of undernourished children.
Design: The experiment was a 12-month clinical, randomized trial on the effects of early supplementary feeding on two cohorts of children classified as nutritionally-at-risk. Three different supplements (condensed milk + micronutrients; skimmed milk + micronutrients; skimmed milk) were given to the children during 6 or 12 months of the study.
Setting: The plantations are 1500-1800 m above sea level in Pangalengan, 50 km south of Bandung, West Java. Temperature fluctuates from 10 to 17 degrees C. A high yearly precipitation is approximately 3000 mm. Communities are laid out at 5-15 km from one another. Living conditions are modest.
Subjects: The 156 subjects were recruited from 24 day-care-centers (DCC) that serviced families of 24 communities in six tea plantations. The 12- and 18-month-old cohorts included 73 and 83 children, respectively; each cohort included three subgroups that received distinct supplements.
Observations: The interactions of the caretakers with the children in the DCCs were consistent with the socialization for survival mode. A primary concern was the physical growth, health, cleanliness, sanitation and safety of the children. Stimulating children, providing toys and initiating play or other activities that would emphasize educational development had a low priority.