Relationship between household characteristics and food security among households with school going children 6-14 years in Turkana County, Kenya

Good nutrition is very essential for proper growth and development of school going children. Malnutrition among school-going children affects their physical and cognitive development leading to low-class attendance hence poor school performance. Despite the economic growth observed in developing countries in recent years, undernutrition is still predominant. This study aims to determine the household food and nutrition security among households with school going children 6-14 years in Turkana County. A cross-sectional study design was adopted where 386 children were sampled for study. Turkana West Sub- County was purposively selected and the wards, locations sub-locations and villages were randomly selected. Systematic random sampling was used to sample households with school going children 6-14 years. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted on parents/guardians. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software (SPSS) Version 25. Data was analyzed using descriptive and multivariate statistics at 95% confidence interval. About 60% (n=228) of the households were headed by males with 62.2% aged between 20-30years. The large proportion of the respondents (58.8%) had attained primary education level only. Charcoal and firewood selling (25.6%) was the main occupation of the household heads, 13.2 % provided agricultural labor and only 2.1% had a formal employment. The rest did not have any source of income. The average dietary diversity score of the individuals was 5 to7 food groups while the highest dietary diversity score was 8-10 food groups. The school going children (6-14 years) had a medium dietary score with 45.9% while 22.3% had a low dietary diversity score. The study indicated that there was a significant relationship between dietary diversity and the nutrition security of the school going children 6-14 years. Findings of this study are useful in informing the County government of Turkana in the planning and implementation of relevant food and nutrition security programs in the Turkana West community. The study recommends adequate nutrition support to be incorporated in the school feeding program in the locality.&nbsp

Acceptability of complementary porridge enriched with crickets (Acheta domesticus) among women of reproductive age in Alego-Usonga sub-county, Kenya

Protein-energy malnutrition is common among children of under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. This is mainly attributed to poor complementary foods and feeding practices, which are often cereal-based and characterized by low nutrient density. Soybean is commonly used to enrich complementary foods, nonetheless, its prospects for use as a rich source of protein and minerals is limited by its low protein digestibility and bioavailability of minerals, costly production and contribution towards environmental degradation. Crickets provide cheap and sustainable source of protein and other nutrients, and holds the potential for substituting soybean in complementary porridge formula. To evaluate acceptability of complementary porridge enriched with crickets, Famila complementary porridge flour, a composite of maize, wheat and defatted soybean was enriched with cricket flour by substituting soybean with cricket flour at 0%, 25%, 50% and 75%. Four porridges were prepared from the flours and coded as CP, CPB1, CPB2 and CPB3, respectively. A total of 40 semi-trained women evaluated the porridges on colour, taste, aroma, texture, mouth-feel and overall acceptability on a 9 -point hedonic scale. The overall acceptability of the porridges were as follows; CP (8.5 ± 0.72), CPB1 (7.08 ± 0.94), CPB2 (5.75 ± 1.53) and CPB3 (3.60 ± 1.95). Control porridge (CP) was highly rated in all sensory attributes while CPB3 was rated the lowest in all the attributes. Unlike CP, the overall acceptability of CP1, CPB2 and CPB 3 improved with experience in insect consumption, age and level of education. The ratings for colour, aroma and taste of cricket-based porridges were higher among women aged 30 years and above, and those with post-primary education. The most accepted cricket-based porridges were CPB1 and CPB2. Enrichment of Famila complementary porridge with cricket flour affected its sensory attributes which were perceived differently by the women. This informs the need for both low and high substitution levels to cater for their diverse preferences

Nutritional knowledge and practice of elite rugby players in Kenya

Rugby is a sport that has great physical and physiological demands that come with heavy requirements on the body’s nutrient stores. Nutrition plays a key role when it comes to good performance in rugby and in turn, aspects of nutrition specifically relevant to rugby are used to improve on how an athlete performs throughout the year: pre-season, competition season and off season. Despite the tremendous growth of rugby within the global and Kenyan scene, there are few studies that have been done on the nutrition knowledge and practices of elite rugby union players. The general objective of this study was to investigate the nutritional knowledge and practices of elite rugby players in Kenya. This study adopted the descriptive cross-sectional design. The research was carried out in Nairobi and Kakamega counties in Kenya. Purposive sampling was used to select elite rugby players called up to the national team and the sample size for this study was sixty-seven (67). The data was analysed using SPSS version 25. The study’s results showed that 46% of the respondents were found to be in the age bracket of 25-30 years, with 52% of the respondents having attained tertiary education. Sixty percent (60%) of the respondents played the back position. A large proportion (75%) of the respondents correctly responded that carbohydrates were the main source of energy for the body, whereas only 23% correctly responded that sports drinks are the best to replace fluids on the field of play. The average daily kilocalorie intake of the respondents was low at 2097kcal against a recommended 2165kcal. Milk and milk products were the most consumed sources of protein at 37% (5-6 times a week). Cereals were the most common sources of energy at 30% (daily). There was no significant relationship between nutrition practice and nutrition knowledge amongst elite rugby players in Kenya (r (67) = -0.106, p = .400.). In conclusion, good nutrition knowledge did not necessarily translate to better nutrition practices. There is need for increased nutrition education amongst elite rugby players to ensure dietary intake is per set recommendations

Assessment of nutrition knowledge and sources of nutrition information among middle- and long-distance elite athletes in north rift region of Kenya

Diet influences athletes performance while the foods chosen in training and competition determines how well competitors prepare and compete. Competitors should know about their nourishing objectives and how they can choose an eating technique to meet those objectives. However, there exists paucity of literature expounding on that. Many athletes have limited knowledge on matters of nutrition, and their nutrition practices do not conform to athletes' requirements. The sources of nutrition information among this group are also conflicting. The purpose of this study was to assess the nutrition knowledge and sources of nutrition knowledge among middle (800m-2500km) and long-distance (≤3000km) elite athletes in North Rift Kenya. Using already trained research assistants, a total of 30 athletic camps in Uasin Gishu and Nandi counties were visited allowing a return of 374 questionnaires. Majority of the respondents were males at 74%, results on age revealed that 47 % were between 22-28 years old and most elite athletes (55%) had an experience of 3 years and below. About 62% participated in long-distance running and 72% had attained secondary school level of education. From the nutrition knowledge scores generated, most of the athletes had adequate nutrition knowledge (above 50 %). With regard to specific questions, 51.9% had no knowledge that iron supplements should only be taken when one has iron deficiency. About three quarters (75.4%) had the right knowledge that athletes should not train on an empty stomach. The internet was the major source of nutrition knowledge information and nutritionists were least consulted on matters sports nutrition. There were no differences in knowledge among the athletes at different age groups (p =.510). Therefore, it is recommended that nutrition professionals be incorporated as part of technical team so as to ensure increased awareness among the athletes.&nbsp

ACCEPTABILITY OF CEREAL-CRICKET COMPOSITE PORRIDGE AS INFLUENCED BY SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS AND BREAST-FEEDING STATUS OF MOTHERS AND CARE-GIVERS IN SIAYA COUNTY, KENYA

The trajectory for widespread integration of edible insects into the human diet is still confronted by low acceptability especially among communities that traditionally or habitually do not consume insects. While the concern today is how best to present edible insects into food matrices that improve their acceptability, this development should be aligned with consumer intrigues into the choices of insectbased foods. This study determined the influence of socio-economic factors (age, education, marital status, occupation, and income levels), and breastfeeding status of mothers and care givers on acceptability of cricket-based porridges. Four composite porridge flours were developed by blending cricket flour with maize, wheat, and soy flour at four different levels. The reference formula (CP) had 0% cricket inclusion and was a composite of maize, wheat, and defatted soy flour in the ratio of 2:1:1 resembling Famila Baby weaning porridge flour, a common infant formula in Kenya. The other treatment flours were formulated by replacing an equivalent amount of soy flour with cricket flour at 25%, 50% and 75% to allow enrichment of Famila formula with cricket flour, and were coded as CPB1, CPB2 and CPB3, respectively. Porridge prepared from the flours were evaluated for acceptability among forty mothers and care-givers selected in Siaya County, Kenya. Non-cricket porridge was the most accepted across the respondents’ socioeconomic dynamics. Acceptability of cricket-based porridges improved with age and level of education but reduced significantly for both married (p<0.000) and unmarried women (p<0.000). Women engaged in formal employment rated cricketbased porridges significantly higher (p<0.003) than other occupations. Income level generated mixed influences with non-cricket porridge still rated significantly higher (p<0.000) than cricket-based porridges across different income groups. Breastfeeding had insignificant influence on acceptability of the porridges (p=0.06). From this study, age, education, occupation and income showed varied influences on the acceptability of cereal-cricket porridges and should therefore be considered among key factors that shape consumer acceptability. Consequently, promotion strategies should consider the latter socio-economic factors in devising interventions to improve acceptability of edible insects and their products

Characteristics Of Caregivers And Households Practicing Bottle-Feeding In Kisumu East District

There is documented evidence of increased risk of infant mortality in formula-fed versus breast- fed infants and young children. The potential danger especially in resource-poor settings with poor water and sanitation conditions is well known. In reducing risks associated with the sanitation of feeding equipment, bottle-feeding is often discouraged with cup and spoon promoted as better alternatives. To determine the characteristics of caregivers and households with bottle-fed young under-twos in a rural community of Kisumu East district, a cross-sectional descriptive survey using a structured questionnaire was carried out. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. Frequencies for non-continuous data were obtained and the relationship between the background variables and the bottle-feeding of the infant/child was established through the chi-square test. A total of 494 caregivers with young ones, under-twos, were interviewed. The findings from the study showed that of the 406 respondents addressing questions on bottle-feeding the previous night prior to the survey, 91 (22.4%) were practicing infant bottle-feeding. Answers to the question “who assisted the mother during delivery”, revealed that 88 children were bottle-fed, 38(43.2%) of whom were delivered under skilled attendance while out of the 314 children not bottle-fed, 145 (46.2%) were delivered under skilled attendance. Some of the indicators found to be significantly different included: main source of household income which was found to be significantly associated (p=0.044) with bottle-feeding, child’s age was significantly (P =0.008) different with respect to bottle-feeding and breast-feeding initiation after birth was significantly (p = 0.004) associated with bottle-feeding. The tendency to bottle-feed was lower among those with complete immunization status compared to those with incomplete immunization. This association with immunization indicates that facility delivery coupled with faithfulness in visits throughout the immunization schedule, promotes contact with the health facility staff and potentially has a significant role in promoting good infant and child feeding practices. In conclusion, infant/young child bottle-feeding is still a public health issue in resource-poor settings. Promotion of safe infant/young child feeding practices for improving nutritional and health status of children especially in the resource-poor settings should be advocated especially where bottle-feeding is still in high use. There is need for community-based strategies to bring about a change that addresses the current prevalence of bottle-feeding found in the study area

FOOD SECURITY'S BROKEN LINK: THE MISALIGNMENT OF STAKEHOLDER PRIORITIES IN AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION IN VIHIGA COUNTY, KENYA

Global food security will exist when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Today, about 2 billion of the 7.96 billion people on Earth are food insecure. Food insecurity is still a challenge in Kenya despite different sectors' interventions in nutrition and agriculture. This study sought to identify programs and stakeholders who are influential on food security by analyzing farmers' participation in programs, the link between agriculture and nutrition goals, factors that influence the success of programs, and the impact of policy on food security. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design using mixed methods of data collection. Qualitative data were obtained from thirty purposively selected stakeholders through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The themes formed from the qualitative data were analyzed manually, and verbatim quotes were used to explain the findings. Additionally, two hundred and seventy-three structured questionnaires were administered to farmers to collect quantitative data. The data revealed that (75%) of farmers were beneficiaries of key programs. Pearson's chi-square test gave x!(4, n=273)>=91.045, with a p-value of 0.000 which is less than 0.05, indicates a strong relationship between education level and farmers' awareness of key agricultural programs. The primary motivation in agriculture production was income generation, but the nutritional value of the food was overlooked. Poor collaboration among stakeholders was shown to not only result in unequal program coverage but also pose an obstacle in aligning agricultural programs with local nutrition demands. Moreover, although food and agriculture policies are in place, gaps exist in implementing and adhering to these policies. It was revealed that budget allocation to the agriculture sector is at (2.4 %) which is still a quarter way to the international commitment of (10%). Lastly, land ownership limitations hinder smallholder farmers' ability to meet income and nutrition needs, as approximately a third of those surveyed (n=136, 35.5%) reported owning less than 0.5 acres of land. It is, therefore, necessary to build the capacity to support smart agriculture, using technological methods to increase productivity on small land. Additionally, stakeholders must create policy strategies, collaboration and program distribution mechanisms to promote nutrition and agriculture to improve food security

Food availability, accessibility and dietary practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-country survey

Objective: To investigate the perceived effects of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown measures on food availability, accessibility, dietary practices and strategies used by participants to cope with these measures. Design: We conducted a cross-sectional multi-country online survey between May and July 2020. We used a study-specific questionnaire mainly based on the adaptation of questions to assess food security and coping strategies from the World Food Programme’s ‘Emergency Food Security Assessment’ and ‘The Coping Strategy Index’. Setting: The questionnaire was hosted online using Google Forms and shared using social media platforms. Participants: A total of 1075 adult participants from eighty-two countries completed the questionnaire. Results: As a prelude to COVID-19 lockdowns, 62·7 % of the participants reported to have stockpiled food, mainly cereals (59·5 % of the respondents) and legumes (48·8 %). An increase in the prices of staples, such as cereals and legumes, was widely reported. Price increases have been identified as an obstacle to food acquisition by 32·7 % of participants. Participants reported having lesser variety (50·4 %), quality (30·2 %) and quantity (39·2 %) of foods, with disparities across regions. Vulnerable groups were reported to be facing some struggle to acquire adequate food, especially people with chronic diseases (20·2 %), the elderly (17·3 %) and children (14·5 %). To cope with the situation, participants mostly relied on less preferred foods (49 %), reduced portion sizes (30 %) and/or reduced the number of meals (25·7 %). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted food accessibility and availability, altered dietary practices and worsened the food insecurity situation, particularly in the most fragile regions