Assessment of Nutritional Vulnerability of the Elderly using Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) Tool

Objective: The vulnerability of the elderly (65years and above) to nutritional risks is the main thrust of this paper. Subjects and methods: Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select a total of 600 subjects from eight communities in Umuahia North and Ikwuano Local Government Areas of Abia state. About sixty-three percent were females while 37% were males. Structured, validated and pre-tested questionnaire was used to elicit information on socio-economic status, while Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) form was used to assess nutritional vulnerability. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data on socioeconomic status. Data from MNA was analyzed by stratifying the respondents as “well nourished” MNA≥ 24, “at risk of malnutrition” 17-23.5 and “malnourished

Chemical and organoleptic evaluation of soyabean-yam receipes as possible snacks and food for children

No Abstract. Bio-Research Vol. 4(1) 2006: 18-2

Effect of different Processing Methods on the Vitamin A content of Four Commonly used Green Vegetables in Ezinihite Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria

Objectives: This study was designed to identify commonly used vegetables and assess the effect of processing on the vitamin A content of four commonly used vegetables. Materials and methods: Data was collected from one hundred women systematically selected using structured, validated and pre-tested questionnaire. Information on their socioeconomic status, knowledge of vitamin A as well as methods of processing and storing the vegetables were obtained. Chemical analysis was carried out to determine vitamin A content of fresh, shade dried and sun dried vegetables as well as reheated and frozen soups/sauces. Results: Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf) had a high amount of vitamin A in the fresh state (1254.9±15.1mg/100gRE). Hibiscus esculentus (Okro) had the least vitamin A content in the shade dried (223.0±11.21mg/100gRE) state but the highest content in the sun dried state (215.7±13.91mg/100gRE). Reheating significantly reduced the vitamin A content of all the cooked soups especially on the 2nd day (

Influence of Maternal Anthropometric Measurements and Dietary Intake on Lactation Performance in Umuahia Urban Area, Abia State, Nigeria

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the influence of maternal anthropometry and dietary intake on lactation performance in a small subset of mothers in Umuahia urban, Abia State. Subjects and Methods: The influence of maternal anthropometry and dietary intake on lactation performance was investigated in 27 postpartum women at delivery and subsequently at 1, 3, 4 and 6months postpartum. Dietary intake was by weighed inventory method and 24-hr recall. Breast milk output was determined by test weighing procedure. Anthropometric measurements of height and weight were performed on both mothers and their infants, while BMI was calculated for the mothers. Maternal body fat (%) was estimated from skin-fold thickness measurements. Data was analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means (SD), ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Majority of the mothers were in the age range of 26-35 years. Exclusive breastfeeding rate at the end of 6 months was 22%. Maternal mean height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat immediately after delivery were1.61±0.08cm, 72.55±11.01kg and 27.90±4.44kg/m2 and 27.35±5.82%. At the end of the 6th month, mean weight, BMI and body fat were 71.15±3.25kg, 27.84±4.78 kg/m2 and 27.43±2.93%. BMI classification at the end of the 6th month showed that the mothers were overweight (50%) and obese (50%). Infant weight and height were comparable to WHO reference curves during the period of study. Average breast milk output was 866.62g/d, while infant milk intake and frequency of feeding were 820.62g/day and 9.51feeds/day. Mean energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate intake averaged 2396kcal, 52.21g, 44.81g and 446.11g. Breast milk output was not related with body weight and body fat (P>0.05), but was associated with energy intake (

Bacterial Load In Expressed And Stored Breast Milk Of Lactating Mothers In Abia State, Nigeria

The use of expressed breast milk has been advocated as an effective way of encouraging and maintaining lactation when the mother is separated from the baby for a while. However, prospects of storage of expressed breast milk for any considerable period of time is hindered by the possibility of bacterial contamination and growth of infectious pathogens in the stored milk. Previous research worldwide has focused on optimal conditions for storing expressed breast milk. This study investigated bacterial growth in expressed breast milk stored at two different conditions and time periods. A total of 240 randomly selected lactating mothers participated in a survey used to elicit information on their practices concerning expressed and stored breast milk. Out of this, 20 lactating mothers were willing to donate their breast milk, which was used for microbial studies. Using antiseptic procedures, breast milk samples were collected from these 20 lactating mothers by manual expression and put into sterile containers. One half was stored at room temperature (30°C), while the other half was immersed in a container of water (26°C) for 0, 3, 6 and 9hrs. The samples at different time periods in both storage conditions were plated on three different culture media (Nutrient agar, MacConkey agar and Chocolate agar) and incubated for 24hrs. Bacterial load was enumerated and isolates were characterized and identified. Data was analyzed using one way ANOVA and presented as frequencies, percentages means and standard deviations. Results showed that in all the culture media, bacterial load was higher in breast milk samples stored at room temperature for up to 9hrs compared to that immersed in water (p<0.05). However, the average colony counts were within acceptable limits (<104CFU/ml). Enterococcus faecalis , Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the predominant bacteria isolated in the breast milk samples under both storage conditions. The findings from this study revealed that storage of breast milk either at room temperature or immersed in a container of water appeared to be safe for up to 9 hours of storage in a tropical environment. Generally, the number of microbes was within levels considered acceptable in expressed breast milk