ABSTRACT
This study was done to ascertain the food security and nutritional
status of children aged between two and five years in Kpone, a fishing
community in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. The objectives
were to assess (i) some household and child health characteristics,
(ii) dietary adequacy for energy, protein, iron and vitamin A, (iii) the
food security status of the children, (iv) growth by anthropometry and
(v) serum iron and vitamin A status of the children. In the major fish
season, 336 children were involved in the study while the number
reduced to 274 due to attrition in the lean fish season.
Results of the study showed that, 12% of the children had malaria,
6% coughs and 5% measles. The immunization status was
encouraging as 73% had completed all vaccinations against the
childhood killer diseases. Sanitation was rather poor with 74% of the
households found to be in poor living conditions. Diarrhoea
prevalence was very high with as many as 70% of the children having
very severe diarrhoea.
For energy intake, as many as 60% could not meet their
recommended dietary allowance (RDA) in the lean fish season but
there was an improvement in the major season as this level reduced to
51%. Protein requirements were met by 87% of the children in both
seasons while iron needs were satisfied by 40% and 57% of the
children in the lean and major fish seasons respectively. Vitamin A
needs, were met by 58% of the children in both lean and major fish
seasons. There were no significant diffemces in the mean intakes for
energy, protein and vitamin A for the two seasons but there was a
significant difference in the mean intake for iron (p < 0.001). Using the Dietary Energy Adequacy Ratio (DEAR) of 0.8 for food
security status, 68% of the children could be classified as food
insecure in the lean fish season while in the major fish season, the
level reduced to 59%.
With growth determination using anthropometry, prevalence of
stunting (both moderate and severe) was 49% at baseline. Prevalence
of underweight was 46% in the lean season, dropping to 29% in the
major fish season. Wasting prevalence increased from 5% to 8%. The
results show that about a third of the children are not getting enough
to eat and and this has translated into poor growth, hence the rather
high prevalence of undemutrition shown by anthropometry.
The prevalence of iron deficiency in the form of prelatent iron status
showed that as 75% of the children had serum ferritin levels below 50
Hg/1, representing a vulnerable state. In the case of vitamin A status
using retionol binding protein, 12% of the children had serum retinol
binding protein levels below the lower cut off point of 18jag/l.
Children in this community are at risk of poor nutrition and the
community at large can be mapped as one vulnerable to food
insecurity.
ADDY, P (2021). Food Security And Nutritional Status Of Children In A Fishing Community. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/food-security-and-nutritional-status-of-children-in-a-fishing-community
ADDY, PAULINA "Food Security And Nutritional Status Of Children In A Fishing Community" Afribary. Afribary, 08 Apr. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/food-security-and-nutritional-status-of-children-in-a-fishing-community. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.
ADDY, PAULINA . "Food Security And Nutritional Status Of Children In A Fishing Community". Afribary, Afribary, 08 Apr. 2021. Web. 15 Oct. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/food-security-and-nutritional-status-of-children-in-a-fishing-community >.
ADDY, PAULINA . "Food Security And Nutritional Status Of Children In A Fishing Community" Afribary (2021). Accessed October 15, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/food-security-and-nutritional-status-of-children-in-a-fishing-community