Participatory approach to improve dietary diversity in Vihiga County, Western Kenya

Abstract accepted for poster presented at 3rd International Congress Hidden Hunger: Post-2015 Agenda and Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG): Where are we now? Strategies to improve nutrition quality and combat hidden hunger, Stuttgart, Germany, March 20-22, 201

Identification and frequency of consumption of wild edible plants over a year in central Tunisia: a mixed-methods approach

Objective: To identify wild plants used as food and assess their frequency of consumption over a year in a region of Tunisia where agriculture is undergoing a major transformation from smallholder farming to an intensive high-input agricultural system. Design: Qualitative ethnobotanical study followed by a survey of women's frequency of consumption of wild plants conducted using FFQ at quarterly intervals. Setting: Sidi Bouzid governorate of central Tunisia. Participants: Mixed-gender group of key informants (n 14) and focus group participants (n 43). Survey sample of women aged 20-49 years, representative at governorate level (n 584). Results: Ethnobotanical study: thirty folk species of wild edible plants corresponding to thirty-five taxa were identified by key informants, while twenty folk species (twenty-five taxa) were described by focus groups as commonly eaten. Population-based survey: 98 % of women had consumed a wild plant over the year, with a median frequency of 2 d/month. Wild and semi-domesticated fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Anethum graveolens) was the most frequently consumed folk species. Women in the upper tertile of wild plant consumption frequency were more likely to be in their 30s, to live in an urban area, to have non-monetary access to foods from their extended family and to belong to wealthier households. Conclusions: In this population, wild edible plants, predominantly leafy vegetables, are appreciated but consumed infrequently. Their favourable perception, however, offers an opportunity for promoting their consumption which could play a role in providing healthy diets and mitigating the obesity epidemic that is affecting the Tunisian population

Role of wild, neglected and underutilized foods in reducing the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet in the eastern region of Baringo District, Kenya

The role of wild, neglected and underutilized species in achieving a cost reduction of a nutritionally adequate diet in the dry and wet season was investigated in the eastern region of Baringo District in Kenya. Baringo District is situated in the arid and semi-arid ecological zones of Kenya and local populations in the study region mainly include (agro-)pastoralists relying on supplementing their diet with food collected from neighboring forests and fields

Role of wild, neglected and underutilized foods in reducing the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet in the eastern region of Baringo District, Kenya (presentation)

The role of wild, neglected and underutilized species (NUS) in achieving a cost reduction of a nutritionally adequate diet in the dry and wet season was investigated in the eastern region of Baringo District in Kenya. Baringo District is situated in the arid and semi-arid ecological zones of Kenya and local populations in the study region mainly include (agro-)pastoralists relying on supplementing their diet with food collected from neighboring forests and fields. Ethnobiological surveys identified 5 wild fruit and vegetable species based on nutrient content and local population’s preferences from a total of 340 species of edible plants and animals inventoried in both the dry (February/March) and wet (July/August) season in 2012. The 5 wild plant species (Solanum nigrum L., Balanites aegyptiacus (L.) Delile, Ximenia americana L., Berchemia discolor (Klotzsch) Hemsl. and Ziziphus mauritiana Lam.) were included in Save the Children’s Cost of Diet tool (CoD). This linear programming tool estimated the lowest cost diet that meets the energy requirements and recommended nutrient intakes for mothers and children aged 6 to 24 months, taking into account the price and availability of local foods during dry and wet seasons as well as constraints on the ‘locally accepted’ amount of each food that can be included in the diet. This is called a locally appropriate, cost-optimized, nutritious diet (LACON) diet. The program was run with and without the selected wild species. The LACON diets without the 5 wild species could not meet the recommended nutrient intakes for several essential micronutrients. During the dry season, the diet of an infant aged 6 to 8 months did not meet the recommended nutrient intakes for iron, zinc, vitamin B6 and calcium; and iron was limited for all age groups (women and children). The wet season was better for meeting recommended micronutrient, but iron was limited for women and infants aged 6 to 11 months and zinc was limited for infants aged 6 to 11 months

Central-line-associated bloodstream infection burden among Dutch neonatal intensive care units

Background: The establishment of an epidemiological overview provides valuable insights needed for the (future) dissemination of infection-prevention initiatives. Aim: To describe the nationwide epidemiology of central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) among Dutch Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Methods: Data from 2935 neonates born at &lt;32 weeks' gestation and/or with a birth weight &lt;1500 g admitted to all nine Dutch NICUs over a two-year surveillance period (2019–2020) were analysed. Variations in baseline characteristics, CLABSI incidence per 1000 central-line days, pathogen distribution and CLABSI care bundles were evaluated. Multi-variable logistic mixed-modelling was used to identify significant predictors for CLABSI. Results:A total of 1699 (58%) neonates received a central line, in which 160 CLABSI episodes were recorded. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common infecting organisms of all CLABSI episodes (N=100, 63%). An almost six-fold difference in the CLABSI incidence between participating units was found (2.91–16.14 per 1000 line-days). Logistic mixed-modelling revealed longer central line dwell-time (adjusted odds ratio (aOR):1.08, P&lt;0.001), umbilical lines (aOR:1.85, P=0.03) and single rooms (aOR:3.63, P=0.02) to be significant predictors of CLABSI. Variations in bundle elements included intravenous tubing care and antibiotic prophylaxis. Conclusions: CLABSI remains a common problem in preterm infants in The Netherlands, with substantial variation in incidence between centres. Being the largest collection of data on the burden of neonatal CLABSI in The Netherlands, this epidemiological overview provides a solid foundation for the development of a collaborative platform for continuous surveillance, ideally leading to refinement of national evidence-based guidelines. Future efforts should focus on ensuring availability and extraction of routine patient data in aggregated formats.</p

Central-line-associated bloodstream infection burden among Dutch neonatal intensive care units

Background: The establishment of an epidemiological overview provides valuable insights needed for the (future) dissemination of infection-prevention initiatives. Aim: To describe the nationwide epidemiology of central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) among Dutch Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Methods: Data from 2935 neonates born at &lt;32 weeks' gestation and/or with a birth weight &lt;1500 g admitted to all nine Dutch NICUs over a two-year surveillance period (2019–2020) were analysed. Variations in baseline characteristics, CLABSI incidence per 1000 central-line days, pathogen distribution and CLABSI care bundles were evaluated. Multi-variable logistic mixed-modelling was used to identify significant predictors for CLABSI. Results:A total of 1699 (58%) neonates received a central line, in which 160 CLABSI episodes were recorded. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common infecting organisms of all CLABSI episodes (N=100, 63%). An almost six-fold difference in the CLABSI incidence between participating units was found (2.91–16.14 per 1000 line-days). Logistic mixed-modelling revealed longer central line dwell-time (adjusted odds ratio (aOR):1.08, P&lt;0.001), umbilical lines (aOR:1.85, P=0.03) and single rooms (aOR:3.63, P=0.02) to be significant predictors of CLABSI. Variations in bundle elements included intravenous tubing care and antibiotic prophylaxis. Conclusions: CLABSI remains a common problem in preterm infants in The Netherlands, with substantial variation in incidence between centres. Being the largest collection of data on the burden of neonatal CLABSI in The Netherlands, this epidemiological overview provides a solid foundation for the development of a collaborative platform for continuous surveillance, ideally leading to refinement of national evidence-based guidelines. Future efforts should focus on ensuring availability and extraction of routine patient data in aggregated formats.</p