ABSTRACT World Health Organization recommends the formation of Mother-to-Mother Support Groups (MtMSGs) to improve nutrition information for mothers. This strategy has been implemented in Turkana since 2008. With limited research on its contribution to improved complementary feeding practices, this study sought to ascertain if there were significant differences in complementary feeding practices and nutrition status of children 6-23 months of MtMSGs participants and MtMSGs non-participants. T...
ABSTRACT It is evident that iron in childhood is key for proper health and cognitive development as it is required for academic and work productivity in adulthood. Intake of iron rich foods, sanitation, health, economic and socio-demographic factors are principal determinants of Iron- deficiency anaemia (IDA) in children. There is paucity of data concerning the prevalence of IDA in children aged 6-23 months since most studies focus mainly on the selection of iron rich foods as criteria for de...
ABSTRACT Plasmodium falciparun, the deadliest malaria parasite, comprises 96% of malaria infections in Kenya, with Lake Victoria basin‟s prevalence at above 38%. The coexistence of malaria and anaemia in pre-school children is a public health problem in Bondo District. Malaria mortality increases with severity of under nutrition, with severely malnourished children being more likely to die from malaria than their well nourished counterparts. There are few studies comparing dietary practice...
ABSTRACT Complementary feeding is the greatest contributor to health and nutrition status of infants and young children. Malnutrition remains one of the greatest concerns in SubSaharan Africa region. In Kenya, national findings show inappropriate complementary feeding practices. Out-patient therapeutic programmes (OTPs) have been established to address severe acute malnutrition (SAM) among children 6-59 months of age. There are 6 OTP centres in Kamukunji sub-county in, Nairobi County. There ...
ABSTRACT The level of child undernutrition remains unacceptably high throughout the world. High prevalence of undernutrition in Kenya is attributable to deficiencies in macro and micronutrients; deficiencies of vitamin A, iron and zinc in the diet are still widespread and a common cause of excess child morbidity and mortality. Further, there is high prevalence of undernutrition and morbidity among children aged 6 to 59 months in agro-ecological strip connecting Kakamega and Siaya Counties. A...
ABSTRACT Out of an annual 15 million pregnancies globally, an estimated overall Human Immunodeficiency Virus prevalence of 0.34% is reported in antenatal women in Kenya. In 2013, there were 13,000 new HIV infections among children. Appropriate feeding practices and good nutrition status are important for the survival, growth, development, health and nutrition of HIV-exposed infants as well as the wellbeing of their mothers. The recommended infant feeding practice is exclusive breastfeeding (E...
ABSTRACT Marginal mixed farming households are prone to frequent drought and hardly meet their food intake requirements which make the under-five children more vulnerable to malnutrition. The purpose of this study was to establish the determinants of nutritional status of children aged 6-59 months in marginal mixed farming households in Ntugi location, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. A sample of 106 households was randomly selected for data collection. Structured questionnaires, key informa...
Anaemia is the most common medical related disorder during pregnancy, and has become a major health related problem in a large number of developing nations, mainly where deficiency in nutrition, worm infestation and malaria are common. Both pregnant and nonpregnant women are affected by this disorder. Even so, most women lack adequate knowledge regarding causes of anaemia in pregnancy as the most commonly cited cause is inadequate iron. This study sought to determine factors associated with a...
ABSTRACT Low Birth Weight (LBW) is a serious public health problem, especially in developing countries. Globally, 15.5% of all births are born LBW and 95.6% of them occur in developing countries. In Kenya, 8% of babies are born LBW and at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) it is 11.1%. Despite several efforts such as antenatal care services put in place to improve the quality of maternal and child health, the rates of LBW are still high. LBW is a major cause of mor...
ABSTRACT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PHOTOGRAPHIC FOOD ATLAS WITH PORTION SIZES OF COMMONLY CONSUMED CARBOHYDRATE FOODS IN ACCRA GHANA Background: The photographic food atlas, a portion size measurement aid has been used to estimate, quantify, educate and counsel on appropriate food portions to help improve dietary intake, and achieve a healthy change. Consumption of larger portion sizes is associated with increases in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), however; most people do not know what makes up...
ABSTRACT Market traders spend most hours of the day sitting down and involved in many other sedentary activities, conditions which increase the risk of chronic diseases. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of obesity and hypertension amongst market men and women in Ijebu- Ode, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study involving 157 (52.3%) males and 143 (47.7%) females was conducted. Body mass index (BMI) was derived from weight and height measurements; waist circumference (WC) measure...
ABSTRACT Background: Globally, malnutrition is a public health problem and more than one-third of mortality among children aged below five years is attributable to malnutrition. Therefore a comprehensive nutritional assessment for early diagnosis of malnutrition and care is important. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a health facility (dispensary) among children aged below five years of age. A total of 302 children were randomly selected from twelve dispensaries in Chamwi...
ABSTRACT Background: Folate is a B vitamin found in green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals. It plays a crucial role in the prevention of human diseases including heart disease, cancer, anaemia (megaloblastic), dementia in adults as well as neonatal defects. Despite the numerous benefits of folate, only sparse information exist on the folate status of Ghanaians. There is therefore the need to assess the folate status of different populations in different regions of the country, in or...
ABSTRACT Background and objective: Anaemia among Ghanaian women of reproductive age is an important public health concern that contributes to morbidity, poor reproductive outcomes, low productivity and mortality. Chronic smoke inhalation from the use of biomass fuel for cooking has been shown to be associated with anaemia in some populations. Fish smoking using biomass fuel is an important livelihood among women living in coastal communities in Ghana which may increase their risk of anaemia. ...
Abstract A Comparison of the Diet of Confirmed Type 2 Diabetes Subjects at the National Diabetes Management and Research Center, with Non-Diabetic Subjects. OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to compare the diet and nutritional status of diabetic subjects to non-diabetic subjects and to evaluate whether recommendations given as part of diettherapy for diabetics are being followed. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was followed. One hundred and fifty one diabetic subjects were identified...