19 research outputs found
Dietary intakes and iron status of vegetarian and non-vegetarian children in selected communities in Accra and cape coast, Ghana
There is a scarcity of information on dietary intake and iron status of Ghanaian children raised on vegetarian diets. A cross-sectional study design was used to compare the diets and iron status of vegetarian children between the ages of 9 months and 11 years (n= 26) with matched controls, non-vegetarian children (n=26) of similar ages and same sex and living within the same communities in Accra and Cape Coast, Ghana. Dietary information was collected using 24-hr food recall and 12-hr home observation. Haemoglobin, plasma ferritin, C-reactive protein, and Transferrin Receptor (TfR) concentrations were determined on finger prick (haemoglobin) and venous blood samples collected during the study. Based on the 24-hr food recall, vegetarian children’s diets were devoid of vitamin B12whereas non-vegetarian children’s diets were not (0.0 ± 0.0 mg vs. 1.5 ± 1.8 mg, p<0.001). The dietary intake based on 12-hr home observation showed similar results. However, vegetarians had significantly higher intake of dietary fibre (17.1 ± 11.9 g vs. 8.4 ± 6.2 g, p= 0.002), thiamine (1.1 ± 0.8 mg vs. 0.5 ± 0.3 mg, p= 0.001) and vitamin A (1702 ± 1887 Retinol Equivalent (RE)vs. 671 ± 691 RE, p= 0.010) than non-vegetarian children. Dietary diversity based on nine food groups was similar between groups (5.8 ±1.0score). Plasma ferritin was higher for non-vegetarian children compared to the vegetarians (59.2± 48.2 ng/mL vs. 34.1± 25.8ng/ml, p= 0.012) but there was no group difference in plasma TfR. The prevalence of anaemia was about 25% in both groups. Typical diets of Ghanaian children lack variety and both vegetarian and nonvegetarian diets are insufficient to support adequate iron status. Iron-rich foods such as meat or supplements are needed. There is urgent need for immediate vitamin B12 supplementation for all vegetarian children and a general need for nutrition education to diversify all children’s diets
Enhancing backyard poultry enterprise performance in the techiman area: A value chain analysis
Backyard Poultry (BP) production is widespread among rural households in Ghana and provides an opportunity for small scale enterprise development to contribute to poverty alleviation. Traditionally, efforts to improve poultry production activities have emphasized the technical aspects of production while neglecting the social and organizational processes that underlie BP enterprises. A value chain framework was used to qualitatively assess BP enterprises in two communities in the Techiman Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region in Ghana. The main purpose of the study was to understand how the activities and relationships among actors along the BP value chain influence BP enterprise performance and its implications for development of the industry. Community key informants defined a BP enterprise as ownership of at least ten post vulnerability age chickens (defined as ability to roost on trees to escape predators and disease). All identified BP farmers in the communities were classified as ‘high’ and ‘low’ enterprise performers based on flock size of ‘post- vulnerability age chickens’. The study participants included a purposive sample of ‘low’ (n=10) and ‘high’ (n=10) performing BP farmers from each community as well as service providers and support institutions in the BP value chain identified through snowball sampling. Qualitative data were collected using focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Content analysis was used to summarize themes and patterns from the interview transcripts and to compare high and low performing BP enterprises based on the identified activities and relationships. Higher BP enterprise performance was associated with stronger inter- and intra-actor integration of activities in the various functions of the value chain and higher investment of resources in the activities of the value chain. Additionally, opportunities for import substitution to meet the high national demand for chicken meat were identified. Sustainable improvements in the BP sector must involve social, relational, organizational, as well as technical innovation
Relationship between caregivers’ income generation activities and their children’s animal source food intake
Enhancing Child Nutrition through Animal Source Food Management (ENAM) project provided financial and technical support for caregivers’ Income Generation Activities (IGA) with the aim of increasing their access to Animal Source Foods (ASF) for improved child nutrition. Using baseline data from the ENAM project, this study assessed the relationship between the type of caregivers’ IGA -whether it is related to ASF [ASF-R] or unrelated [ASF-U] - and the quantity and diversity of ASF consumed by their children. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on household socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and children’s ASF consumption in the past week from 530 caregivers of children 2-to5 years old in 12 communities in three agro-ecological zones of Ghana. A weighed food record of children’s dietary intakes was also completed during two 12-hour home observations on a randomly selected sample of 117 children. Approximately 6% (n=32) of caregivers were not engaged in any IGA. Of the caregivers who were involved in an IGA (n=498), approximately one-third of them were engaged in an ASF-R IGA, such as selling smoked fish, selling eggs and the selling cooked food that included ASF. Caregivers (67%) were engaged in ASF-U IGA, such as crop farming, petty trading in non ASF items and artisanal work. The quantity and diversity of ASF consumed by the children did not differ (p=0.988 and p=0.593, respectively) by the type of caregiver IGA. However, after accounting for agro-ecological zone, being involved in an ASF-R IGA positively predicted children’s ASF diversity (p<0.001). The number of children in the household negatively predicted children’s ASF diversity (p=0.011) whereas high/medium household wealth status tended to be positively associated with ASF diversity (p=0.064).The study suggested that there is need to promote ASF-R IGA among caregivers to increase the ability to purchase more varied and nutritious food items for improving children’s growth
Knowledge translation in Uganda: a qualitative study of Ugandan midwives’ and managers’ perceived relevance of the sub-elements of the context cornerstone in the PARIHS framework
Factors Impeding Anti-corruption Policy Implementation in Africa - The Case Study of Ghana’s Zero-tolerance for Corruption Policy
This study examined public managers’ opinion about factors that constrainedthe implementation of Ghana’s anticorruption policy inaugurated in the yearsbetween 2001 and 2008 under former President John Agyekum Kufuour and the NPP government. Data for the study was collected through semi-structured elite interviews conducted with 20 purposively selected senior public managers from five anti-corruption agencies who were directly involved in overseeing the implementation of the anti-corruption policy. According to the study fi ndings, lack of institutional and human capacity, weak skills, inadequate number of staff and insuffi cient funding and logistics constrained the effective implementation of the NPP’s anti
Participation In Communal Day Care Centre Feeding Programs Is Associated With Higher Diet Quantity But Not Quality Among Rural Ghanaian Children
Communal School Feeding Programs (SFP) are based on local foods brought
by children from home which are cooked and shared at school. These
programs may be a sustainable food-based strategy for improving
children's diets in low-resource areas. The objective of this study was
to compare the dietary intakes of children who attend Day Care Centres
(DCC) with communal SFP to children who do not attend any DCC or school
in rural Ghana. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to
collect dietary and other household information for 104 DCC and 89
non-DCC children aged two to five years living in two communities. In
addition, the DCC lunches (ingredients and servings of each food
preparation) were weighed. The Day Care Centres' lunch was higher in
energy (by 64 kcal; p<0.001), but lower in calcium (by 18 mg;
p=0.002), iron (by 1.3 mg; p<0.001) and zinc (by 0.2 mg; p=0.046)
than the non-DCC lunch. DCC children ate more times in a day (4.2
± 0.8 vs. 3.4 ± 0.6, p<0.001), had greater dietary
diversity (7.2 ± 0.6 vs. 6.7 ± 1.0 food groups, p<0.001)
and had higher daily intakes of energy (1140 ± 320 vs. 878 ±
240 kcal; p<0.001), calcium (282 ± 139 vs. 244 ± 118 mg;
p=0.048), iron (12.4 ± 6.4 vs. 10.7 ± 4.7 mg; p=0.048) and
zinc (0.40 ± 0.15 vs. 0.35 ± 0.11 mg; p=0.019) than non-DCC
children. However, after controlling for total energy intake and other
dietary, health and socio- demographic variables, daily iron and zinc
intakes were lower in the DCC compared to the non-DCC group.
Participation in the communal SFP was associated with higher quantity
but not quality of children's diets. Communal SFP offer an opportunity
to address specific population's micronutrient needs, using
interventions to improve dietary quality such as point-of-use
fortification, commercially fortified foods, or processed animal source
food products
Microcredit–Nutrition Education Link: A Case Study Analysis Of Ghanaian Women&Apos;S Experiences In Income Generation And Family Care
The Enhancing Child Nutrition through Animal Source Food Management
(ENAM) project, part of the Global Livestock Collaborative Research
Support Program (GL- CRSP), integrated a microcredit and savings
program with entrepreneurial and nutrition education to strengthen
women's income-generation activities with the intent of increasing
women's (caregivers) abilities to purchase more Animal Source Foods
(ASF) for family meals. The model stressed the integration of research,
community development and capacity strengthening and the full
participation of partners. The aim of this qualitative study was to
provide an understanding of how the microcredit, entrepreneurship and
nutrition education program impacted the daily lives of the women who
participated in the interventions. Three questions were addressed: What
factors lead to success in a microcredit and nutrition education
program? What are the obstacles to women's successful participation and
what strategies are employed to overcome these obstacles? What are the
lessons learned for future programs? The qualitative analysis was based
on case studies of 12 women considered by their peers to be
'successful' ENAM participants, and six case studies of women
considered to be 'less successful' ENAM participants. The qualitative
methodology complimented knowledge gained through quantitative
investigations as reported by other authors in this supplement. Data
were collected through focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and
observations. The findings suggested that the greatest benefit to
participants from the ENAM experience was its translation into
opportunities for obtaining microcredit, which in turn, helped increase
women's business success. Women who were doing well in business before
the ENAM interventions did even better as a result of their
participation in the ENAM project. Successful women employed multiple
strategies to overcome business challenges. Anecdotal evidence
suggested that the microcredit-education link in this particular
situation did positively impact women's lives with respect to their
small businesses, their personal development, and the health of their
families
Female genital mutilation and skilled birth attendance among women in sub-Saharan Africa.
BACKGROUND: There is evidence that women who have had their genitals cut suffer substantial difficulties during and/or after childbirth, including the need for a caesarean section, an episiotomy, an extended hospital stay, post-partum bleeding, and maternal fatalities. Whether or not women in sub-Saharan Africa who have undergone female genital mutilation utilize the services of skilled birth attendants during childbirth is unknown. Hence, we examined the association between female genital mutilation and skilled birth attendance in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: The data for this study were compiled from 10 sub-Saharan African countries' most recent Demographic and Health Surveys. In the end, we looked at 57,994 women between the ages of 15 and 49. The association between female genital mutilation and skilled birth attendance was investigated using both fixed and random effects models. RESULTS: Female genital mutilation and skilled birth attendance were found to be prevalent in 68.8% and 58.5% of women in sub-Saharan Africa, respectively. Women with a history of female genital mutilation had reduced odds of using skilled birth attendance (aOR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.86-0.96) than those who had not been circumcised. In Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo, women with female genital mutilation had reduced odds of having a trained delivery attendant compared to women in Burkina Faso. CONCLUSION: This study shed light on the link between female genital mutilation and skilled birth attendance among sub-Saharan African women. The study's findings provide relevant information to government agencies dealing with gender, children, and social protection, allowing them to design specific interventions to prevent female genital mutilation, which is linked to non-use of skilled birth attendance. Also, health education which focuses on childbearing women and their partners are necessary in enhancing awareness about the significance of skilled birth attendance and the health consequences of female genital mutilation
Relationship Between Caregivers&Apos; Income Generation Activities And Their Children&Apos;S Animal Source Food Intake
Enhancing Child Nutrition through Animal Source Food Management (ENAM)
project provided financial and technical support for caregivers' Income
Generation Activities (IGA) with the aim of increasing their access to
Animal Source Foods (ASF) for improved child nutrition. Using baseline
data from the ENAM project, this study assessed the relationship
between the type of caregivers' IGA -whether it is related to ASF
[ASF-R] or unrelated [ASF-U] - and the quantity and diversity of ASF
consumed by their children. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain
data on household socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and
children's ASF consumption in the past week from 530 caregivers of
children 2-to5 years old in 12 communities in three agro-ecological
zones of Ghana. A weighed food record of children's dietary intakes was
also completed during two 12-hour home observations on a randomly
selected sample of 117 children. Approximately 6% (n=32) of caregivers
were not engaged in any IGA. Of the caregivers who were involved in an
IGA (n=498), approximately one-third of them were engaged in an ASF-R
IGA, such as selling smoked fish, selling eggs and the selling cooked
food that included ASF. Caregivers (67%) were engaged in ASF-U IGA,
such as crop farming, petty trading in non ASF items and artisanal
work. The quantity and diversity of ASF consumed by the children did
not differ (p=0.988 and p=0.593, respectively) by the type of caregiver
IGA. However, after accounting for agro-ecological zone, being involved
in an ASF-R IGA positively predicted children's ASF diversity
(p<0.001). The number of children in the household negatively
predicted children's ASF diversity (p=0.011) whereas high/medium
household wealth status tended to be positively associated with ASF
diversity (p=0.064).The study suggested that there is need to promote
ASF-R IGA among caregivers to increase the ability to purchase more
varied and nutritious food items for improving children's growth
Enhancing Backyard Poultry Enterprise Performance In The Techiman Area: A Value Chain Analysis
Backyard Poultry (BP) production is widespread among rural households
in Ghana and provides an opportunity for small scale enterprise
development to contribute to poverty alleviation. Traditionally,
efforts to improve poultry production activities have emphasized the
technical aspects of production while neglecting the social and
organizational processes that underlie BP enterprises. A value chain
framework was used to qualitatively assess BP enterprises in two
communities in the Techiman Municipality of the Brong Ahafo Region in
Ghana. The main purpose of the study was to understand how the
activities and relationships among actors along the BP value chain
influence BP enterprise performance and its implications for
development of the industry. Community key informants defined a BP
enterprise as ownership of at least ten post vulnerability age chickens
(defined as ability to roost on trees to escape predators and disease).
All identified BP farmers in the communities were classified as 'high'
and 'low' enterprise performers based on flock size of 'post-
vulnerability age chickens'. The study participants included a
purposive sample of 'low' (n=10) and 'high' (n=10) performing BP
farmers from each community as well as service providers and support
institutions in the BP value chain identified through snowball
sampling. Qualitative data were collected using focus group discussions
and key informant interviews. Content analysis was used to summarize
themes and patterns from the interview transcripts and to compare high
and low performing BP enterprises based on the identified activities
and relationships. Higher BP enterprise performance was associated with
stronger inter- and intra-actor integration of activities in the
various functions of the value chain and higher investment of resources
in the activities of the value chain. Additionally, opportunities for
import substitution to meet the high national demand for chicken meat
were identified. Sustainable improvements in the BP sector must involve
social, relational, organizational, as well as technical innovation