Dietary adequacy of rural school children among bambara groundnut growing farmers in Ntchisi district of Malawi

In Malawi, malnutrition among school-aged children as indicated by 30% stunting, 18% underweight and 3% wasting levels is a problem that is being addressed through school feeding programs. The nutritional status of school going children is dependent on household food security, education level of the parents, food preference of the parents and food preparation constraints. These factors affect food consumption patterns of children which is one of the determining factors of nutritional status. A study was, therefore, conducted to explore the food consumption patterns and diet adequacy for school going children aged 7-9 years in Kalira EPA of Ntchisi district in Malawi. Seventy eight school children whose parents were involved in bambara groundnut (Vigna unguiculata) farming were recruited for the study. Demographic information and data on food consumption pattern and intake during postharvest and pre-planting periods was collected using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included an interactive 24-hour dietary recall and dietary diversity score (DDS) tools. The children came from mainly male-headed households (91%) with 6 ± 2 members. The household heads had attained upper primary education and their main (89.7%) occupation was farming. The school-age children were consuming two carbohydrate based meals per day accompanied with leafy vegetables (34.1%) or stewed pulses (46.6%). Nsima (a stiff porridge made from maize flour) and thin maize flour porridge were the dominant carbohydrate sources in the diet. Only 12% of the children reported consuming animal source foods. Most of the school children were eating three times or less in a day with lunch and supper as the major meals. The diet of the school children did not meet the recommended dietary allowance for energy (69%), fat (21%), vitamin A (24%), iron (65%) and calcium (28%). However, the diet was providing adequate protein intake for the children. Snacks in the form of roasted sweet potatoes or maize and bananas were provided to 26.1% of the school children when going to school, while only 28.4% were provided with breakfast before going to school. Breakfast consisted of black tea or porridge made from whole maize flour. Diets of the majority (68%) of the school going had minimum diversity according to the diversity score. The dietary pattern for the school children was the same during the postharvest and pre-planting period.Key words: adequacy, diet, diversity, school, children

Improving nutritional outcome of children in Tanzania and Malawi

United States Agency for International Developmen

Beliefs, taboos and minor crop value chains: the case of Bambara Groundnut in Malawi

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean) is a source of food for smallholder farmers that is increasingly promoted for its drought tolerance, soil enhancing qualities and nutritious properties. Being an accessible crop to smallholders, it has also recently been the focus of support to develop its value chain in Malawi. However, bambara groundnut is featured in the belief systems of rural people in Malawi, and may effect and be effected by market development. Beliefs and taboos reflect the life/death meanings symbolically represented in bambara groundnut, which influences how and by whom the crop is produced and consumed. These practices lend significant control over the crop to women. These findings have important implications for development and market related interventions that work with food crops, which need to be taken into account during the design phase

How immediate and significant is the outcome of training on diversified diets, hygiene and food safety? An effort to mitigate child undernutrition in rural Malawi

Objective The present study examined the impacts of training on nutrition, hygiene and food safety designed by the Nutrition Working Group, Child Survival Collaborations and Resources Group (CORE). Design Adapted from the 21d Positive Deviance/Hearth model, mothers were trained on the subjects of appropriate complementary feeding, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices, and aflatoxin contamination in food. To assess the impacts on child undernutrition, a randomised controlled trial was implemented on a sample of 179 mothers and their children (<2 years old) in two districts of Malawi, namely Mzimba and Balaka. Settings A 21d intensive learning-by-doing process using the positive deviance approach. Subjects Malawian children and mothers. Results Difference-in-difference panel regression analysis revealed that the impacts of the comprehensive training were positive and statistically significant on the Z-scores for wasting and underweight, where the effects increased constantly over time within the 21d time frame. As for stunting, the coefficients were not statistically significant during the 21d programme, although the level of significance started increasing in 2 weeks, indicating that stunting should also be alleviated in a slightly longer time horizon. Conclusions The study clearly suggests that comprehensive training immediately guides mothers into improved dietary and hygiene practices, and that improved practices take immediate and progressive effects in ameliorating children’s undernutrition

Metabolite changes during natural and lactic acid bacteria fermentations in pastes of soybeans and soybean–maize blends

-The effect of natural and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation processes on metabolite changes in pastes of soybeans and soybean–maize blends was studied. Pastes composed of 100% soybeans, 90% soybeans and 10% maize, and 75% soybeans and 25% maize were naturally fermented (NFP), and were fermented by lactic acid bacteria (LFP). LAB fermentation processes were facilitated through back-slopping using a traditional fermented gruel, thobwa as an inoculum. Naturally fermented pastes were designated 100S, 90S, and 75S, while LFP were designated 100SBS, 90SBS, and 75SBS. All samples, except 75SBS, showed highest increase in soluble protein content at 48 h and this was highest in 100S (49%) followed by 90SBS (15%), while increases in 100SBS, 90S, and 75S were about 12%. Significant (P < 0.05) increases in total amino acids throughout fermentation were attributed to cysteine in 100S and 90S; and methionine in 100S and 90SBS. A 3.2% increase in sum of total amino acids was observed in 75SBS at 72 h, while decreases up to 7.4% in 100SBS at 48 and 72 h, 6.8% in 100S at 48 h and 4.7% in 75S at 72 h were observed. Increases in free amino acids throughout fermentation were observed in glutamate (NFP and 75SBS), GABA and alanine (LFP). Lactic acid was 2.5- to 3.5-fold higher in LFP than in NFP, and other organic acids detected were acetate and succinate. Maltose levels were the highest among the reducing sugars and were two to four times higher in LFP than in NFP at the beginning of the fermentation, but at 72 h, only fructose levels were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in LFP than in NFP. Enzyme activities were higher in LFP at 0 h, but at 72 h, the enzyme activities were higher in NFP. Both fermentation processes improved nutritional quality through increased protein and amino acid solubility and degradation of phytic acid (85% in NFP and 49% in LFP by 72 h)