Factors associated with stunting in Dodoma region, Tanzania

Child undernutrition is a major public health concern, claiming the lives of numerous children below five years of age in the developing world. The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with stunting of children of age 6 – 23 months in Dodoma Municipality and Chamwino District in Dodoma region. Dodoma region located in the central zone of Tanzania was chosen for this study because of its high prevalence (56%) of stunting among children under five years of age. A systematic random sampling technique was used to choose wards, villages, and households that had children aged 6 - 23 months, resulting in 394 households participating in this cross-sectional study. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic information and infant feeding practices. Anthropometric measurements were taken as per WHO standard procedures. A repeated 24-hour dietary recall was used to assess food intake among the study population. Multivariate logistic regression using backward stepwise selection method was used to obtain independent factors of stunting. The overall prevalence of stunting was 40.4% (95% CI; 29.8; 50.9), Chamwino District had a higher prevalence of stunting (44.3%) compared to Dodoma municipality (26.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, age of introduction of complementary food [AOR = 13.3; (95% CI: 2.6 – 67.6)], maternal education [AOR = 5.5; (95% CI: 1.0 – 9.8)], residence in Chamwino District [AOR = 3.2; (95% CI: 1.3 – 5.9)] were factors associated with stunting. About half of the study population (49%) was introduced to complementary foods early, the median age was four months instead of 6 months as recommended by WHO. Infant’s diet was mainly cereal-based, other foods such as animal food source, fruits, and dairy products were consumed by 18%, 11% and 7.1% of children respectively. The dietary pattern of infants was not diversified as 47.7% of infants scored 1 to 3 points out of 12 points categorized as low dietary diversity. Failure to attain normal growth pattern is the most prevalent form of undernutrition in childhood. Associated factors are many, diverse and interrelated. The present study identified maternal education, early introduction of complementary foods and being a resident of Chamwino District as factors to be associated with stunting. Prioritization of identified factors serves as a highlight for better planning of nutrition intervention programs that intend to promote child growth.Key words: Stunting, nutrition status, 6 – 23 months, dietary diversity and complementary foo

Physical and chemical characteristics of off vine ripened mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit (Dodo)

The need to develop the best off vine mango ripening technique for both consumption and processing was investigated. Some physical and chemical measurements were performed on mature Green Dodomangoes before and during a 3-day and 6-day ripening period by smoked pit ripening (SPR), ethylene (fruit generated) pit ripening (EPR), untreated pit ripening (UPR) and room temperature ripening (RTR) as a control method. The post harvest ripening changes in the quality characteristic of ripe mangoes were correlated among treatments and compared with similar changes in other mango varieties. Changes such as formation of sugars, decreased acidity, and increased carotene reflected the mostsignificant chemical changes in ripeness stage

Constraining the Origin and Age of the Thermal and Cold Water in the Lake Natron Basin, Northern Tanzania

Springs on the eastern and western shores of Lake Natron Basin (LNB), located within the eastern branch of the East Africa Rift System (EARS) in Northern Tanzania had a discharge temperature that ranged between 34.0 °C and 51.2 °C, while the pH varied from 8.0 to 10.7. The electrical conductivity (EC) ranged between 5,007 µS/cm and 49,200 µS/cm. Cold waters had a temperature of 31.9 °C to 32.5 °C, while the pH ranged between 8.0 and 8.3, and the EC ranged between 1,401 µS/cm and 3,806 µS/cm. The stable isotope composition varied between -2.4 ‰ and -5.3 ‰ for δ18O, and -15.5 ‰ to -29.3 ‰ for δ2H. The isotopic composition of thermal and cold water of LNB indicates a significant contribution of meteoric water in the recharge of the hydrothermal system. However, thermal water is affected by evaporation, water-rock interaction, carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange and condensation processes. Tritium analysis indicated that the spring water in the LNB hydrothermal system has a residence time of more than 50 years. Keywords:    thermal water; Lake Natron Basin; stable isotopes; springs. &nbsp

Food intake and dietary diversity of farming households in Morogoro region,Tanzania

The Tanzanian economy depends heavily on agriculture and hence human labor provides much of the power needed for farming activities. This study was carried out to determine the diversity and dietary adequacy of farming households in four selected districts of Morogoro region in Tanzania. Adult household members from 140 households participated in the study. A 24-hour dietary recall, dietary diversity score and frequency of food consumption tools were used to assess and quantify nutrient intake and adequacy of consumed diets in farming households. Tanzania food composition tables were used to compute estimates of the energy intake, macro and micronutrients consumed by farming households. Analysis was done using SPSS version 18 and Microsoft excel version 10. Cereal food group was consumed in relatively large quantities compared to other food groups in the surveyed households. The contribution of cereal group to energy intake was 75-82%, protein 8-16% and fat 9-14%. Stiff porridge made of maize flour was the mostly consumed cereal dish followed by rice. The mean intake of energy per day was inadequate; the intake of energy for men was 1402 kcal/day while for female was 1347 kcal/day meeting only 52% and 72%, respectively of the recommended energy intake. Generally, the consumption of protein from the animal sources was significantly low in all districts. Ninety-nine percent of the households rarely consumed eggs; 83% rarely consumed meat and poultry. Consumption of milk and milk products was inadequate as 92% of the households indicated that they rarely consumed these products. The intake of fat was also low by 53% compared to the recommended intake for adults. The intake of iron, zinc, and calcium was 40, 53 and 64%, respectively, which was not sufficient to meet daily requirements. Low intake of nutrients was generally attributed to inadequate food intake due to low feeding frequency, poorly diversified diets and sub-optimal practices in food preparation and cooking. The results from surveyed areas indicated that all districts are rich in terms of bio-diversity and food availability, nevertheless the consumption of these foods in the study communities was inadequate with regards to quantity and quality. This situation compromises nutritional status and pre-disposes farming households to diseases and infections hence affects work output, labor productivity and wealth generation. Educating farmers on the importance of consuming diversified and adequate diets from different food groups will improve their nutrition situation and stimulate more production hence increased agricultural productivity.Key words: Dietary adequacy, Dietary diversity, Nutrition status, Tanzania farming household

Cryptic Diversity of African Tigerfish (Genus Hydrocynus) Reveals Palaeogeographic Signatures of Linked Neogene Geotectonic Events

The geobiotic history of landscapes can exhibit controls by tectonics over biotic evolution. This causal relationship positions ecologically specialized species as biotic indicators to decipher details of landscape evolution. Phylogeographic statistics that reconstruct spatio-temporal details of evolutionary histories of aquatic species, including fishes, can reveal key events of drainage evolution, notably where geochronological resolution is insufficient. Where geochronological resolution is insufficient, phylogeographic statistics that reconstruct spatio-temporal details of evolutionary histories of aquatic species, notably fishes, can reveal key events of drainage evolution. This study evaluates paleo-environmental causes of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) based phylogeographic records of tigerfishes, genus Hydrocynus, in order to reconstruct their evolutionary history in relation to landscape evolution across Africa. Strong geographical structuring in a cytochrome b (cyt-b) gene phylogeny confirms the established morphological diversity of Hydrocynus and reveals the existence of five previously unknown lineages, with Hydrocynus tanzaniae sister to a clade comprising three previously unknown lineages (Groups B, C and D) and H. vittatus. The dated phylogeny constrains the principal cladogenic events that have structured Hydrocynus diversity from the late Miocene to the Plio-Pleistocene (ca. 0–16 Ma). Phylogeographic tests reveal that the diversity and distribution of Hydrocynus reflects a complex history of vicariance and dispersals, whereby range expansions in particular species testify to changes to drainage basins. Principal divergence events in Hydrocynus have interfaced closely with evolving drainage systems across tropical Africa. Tigerfish evolution is attributed to dominant control by pulses of geotectonism across the African plate. Phylogenetic relationships and divergence estimates among the ten mtDNA lineages illustrates where and when local tectonic events modified Africa's Neogene drainage. Haplotypes shared amongst extant Hydrocynus populations across northern Africa testify to recent dispersals that were facilitated by late Neogene connections across the Nilo-Sahelian drainage. These events in tigerfish evolution concur broadly with available geological evidence and reveal prominent control by the African Rift System, evident in the formative events archived in phylogeographic records of tigerfish

How Can the Operating Environment for Nutrition Research Be Improved in Sub-Saharan Africa? The Views of African Researchers

Optimal nutrition is critical for human development and economic growth. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing high levels of food insecurity and only few sub-Saharan African countries are on track to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Effective research capacity is crucial for addressing emerging challenges and designing appropriate mitigation strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. A clear understanding of the operating environment for nutrition research in sub-Saharan Africa is a much needed prerequisite. We collected data on the barriers and requirements for conducting nutrition research in sub-Saharan Africa through semi-structured interviews with 144 participants involved in nutrition research in 35 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 133 interviews were retained for coding. The main barriers identified for effective nutrition research were the lack of funding due to poor recognition by policymakers of the importance of nutrition research and under-utilisation of research findings for developing policy, as well as an absence of research priority setting from within Africa. Current research topics were perceived to be mainly determined by funding bodies from outside Africa. Nutrition researchers argued for more commitment from policymakers at national level. The low capacity for nutrition research was mainly seen as a consequence of insufficient numbers of nutrition researchers, limited skills and a poor research infrastructure. In conclusion, African nutrition researchers argued how research priorities need to be identified by African stakeholders, accompanied by consensus building to enable creating a problem-driven national research agenda. In addition, it was considered necessary to promote interactions among researchers, and between researchers and policymakers. Multidisciplinary research and international and cross-African collaboration were seen as crucial to build capacity in sub-Saharan nutrition research

Expecting too much from the rural development: a case of the Iringa nutrition project

The Iringa Nutrition Project (INP) supported jointly by the Government of Tanzania and UNICEF was started in 1984 as one way to improve mral livelihood. It was implemented in Jringa region because it was found that despite good food supply in the region, there were still high rates of malnutrition among children. The present study was carried out in Thirty­ nine villages of Ludewa and Iringa districts to evaluate the performance of the INP. Child growth and nutrition status data for the period between 1984 and 1992 were used. Indicators of project outcome included success in lowering the proportion of malnourished children and extent of coverage (number of children reached). In addition, regression analysis was used in identifying the community characteristics that were responsible for determining rate of mal­ nutrition changes in the study area. It was observed that 10 percent of the 39 villages in the project area were able to maintain a downward trend in malnutrition during the period 1984- 86 and 18 percent in 1987-92 period. None of the villages was able to sustain a continuous downward trend for the entire period of nine years (1984 to 1992). The regression ana ysis revealed that malnutrition declined significantly in those wards where the rates of malnutri­ tion were highest at the outset of the project. In addition Dominant cropping system and population size indirectly affected the capability to improve nutrition through their influence on coverage. In conclusion, the lringa Nutrition Project appears to have had only a modest impact on improving the nutritional status of children in lringa. This implies that, while the use o_f projects to combat malnutrition in poor countries may still be inevitable, we should not expect too much from these projects

Expecting too much from the rural development: a case of the Iringa nutrition project

The Iringa Nutrition Project (INP) supported jointly by the Government of Tanzania and UNICEF was started in 1984 as one way to improve mral livelihood. It was implemented in Jringa region because it was found that despite good food supply in the region, there were still high rates of malnutrition among children. The present study was carried out in Thirty­ nine villages of Ludewa and Iringa districts to evaluate the performance of the INP. Child growth and nutrition status data for the period between 1984 and 1992 were used. Indicators of project outcome included success in lowering the proportion of malnourished children and extent of coverage (number of children reached). In addition, regression analysis was used in identifying the community characteristics that were responsible for determining rate of mal­ nutrition changes in the study area. It was observed that 10 percent of the 39 villages in the project area were able to maintain a downward trend in malnutrition during the period 1984- 86 and 18 percent in 1987-92 period. None of the villages was able to sustain a continuous downward trend for the entire period of nine years (1984 to 1992). The regression ana ysis revealed that malnutrition declined significantly in those wards where the rates of malnutri­ tion were highest at the outset of the project. In addition Dominant cropping system and population size indirectly affected the capability to improve nutrition through their influence on coverage. In conclusion, the lringa Nutrition Project appears to have had only a modest impact on improving the nutritional status of children in lringa. This implies that, while the use o_f projects to combat malnutrition in poor countries may still be inevitable, we should not expect too much from these projects