Analysis of nutritional adequacy of local foods for meeting dietary requirements of children aged 6-23 months in rural central Tanzania

Abstract

BackgroundUnder nutrition remains a serious problem among children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Analysing how diets composed of local foods could achieve nutritional goals for infants and young children in low-income settings is essential. The objective of this study was to analyse how local foods can be used rationally and to what extent these foods can be supplemented to achieve nutrient requirements for children aged 6 – 23 months in resource-poor settings.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out to estimate dietary intakes of 400 children aged 6-23 months using a 12-h weighed dietary record, 24-h dietary recalls, and 7-days food records. Anthropometric measurements on each subject were also taken. Analyses were done to establish the level of nutrient intake, and nutritional status of the study population using Microsoft Excel 2013 and ProPAN software version 2.0.ResultsThe results showed that the prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight for children aged 6–23 months was 30–41%, 1.5–3% and 4–9%, respectively. In addition, the results showed that diets that were consumed by the subjects comprised of local foods met vitamin A, vitamin C, protein and energy requirements for children aged 6–23 months. However, the extent of deficit in iron, zinc and calcium in baseline diets was large and difficult to meet under the existing feeding practices.ConclusionsThe study shows that local foods in the study area have a potential to achieve recommended dietary intakes of some essential nutrients, and that interventions are needed to meet the required amount of iron, zinc and calcium for children aged 6–23 months. The interventions we propose here may encourage changes in traditional feeding habits and practices of the target population. Possible intervention options are (1) supplementation of local foods with nutrient-dense foods that are not normally consumed in the locality (2) providing new avenues for increasing the production and wide consumption of local nutrient-dense foods, or optimizing the way local diets are constituted so as to achieve nutrient recommendations for infants and young children.

Exposure to aflatoxin and fumonisin in children at risk for growth impairment in rural Tanzania

“…In a recent nutritional analysis for children aged 6–23 months in rural central Tanzania, deficiency of iron, zinc and calcium in the diets was considered as a main factor for the high prevalence of child stunting in this area, although their diets met requirements for vitamin A, protein and energy ( Raymond et al, 2017 ). In addition, feeding practices with low nutritional quality were associated with stunting ( Kulwa et al, 2015 ).…”

Higher Energy and Zinc Intakes from Complementary Feeding Are Associated with Decreased Risk of Undernutrition in Children from South America, Africa, and Asia

“…These data are available within the UNICEF global database, and have been recently revised ( 31 ). Other studies have addressed quantitative nutrient intake from complementary feeding in local communities, but none were able to associate these intakes as nutritional status determinants, in a cross-country analysis ( 9–12 ). These dietary intake analyses were also limited in preclinical studies to induce undernutrition.…”

“…The WHO core indicators ( 1 ), standardized measures for complementary feeding quality assessment, represent simple indicators to make complementary feeding assessment more feasible worldwide. Studies have addressed characterizing complementary feeding in local communities ( 9 ), some using part of the WHO indicators ( 10 ) and their relation with nutritional status ( 9 , 11 , 12 ), but none were able to determine usual nutrient intake from complementary feeding as a determinant of nutritional status. Quantitative estimation of food and nutrient intake presents field difficulties, considering that food recalls are complicated, requiring prospective study designs for reliability.…”

Factors Associated With Minimum Dietary Diversity Among Children Aged 6 to 23 Months in Debre Berhan Town, Central Ethiopia: Community-based Cross-sectional Study

“…It includes being underweight for one's age, too short for one's age (stunted), dangerously thin for one's height (wasted), and de cient in vitamins and minerals (micronutrient malnutrition) (2). Undernutrition remains a serious problem among children in Sub-Saharan Africa (4). Acute malnutrition can result from food shortages, inappropriate child care or feeding practices, or a combination of these factors (1).…”