Testing of developed Food Based Dietary Guidelines for the elderly in South Africa

The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of the testing of the Elderly Food Based Dietary Guidelines (EFBDGs). Following a literature review, stakeholder discussions and revision, preliminary English EFBDGs were proposed and circulated to an expert panel for input. The developed EFBDGs are based on the existing FBDGs which were revised in 2012 and adapted for older people following the Food and Agricultural Organisation/World Health Organisation (FAO/WHO) guidelines. Minor corrections were received and incorporated, after which the guidelines were tested for comprehension, appropriateness and applicability in consumer groups.A qualitative design was followed with focus group discussions. Firstly, the English EFBDGs were tested with IsiZulu, Afrikaans, IsiXhosa, English and Sesotho speaking elderly aged 60 years and older in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Free State provinces, respectively. Thereafter, they were adapted and translated into IsiZulu, Afrikaans, IsiXhosa and Sesotho. Secondly, the adapted and translated EFBDGs were tested in the mentioned ethnic groups.In general, as expected, the results of the tests showed that the English speaking elderly responded better to the English guidelines than the other ethnic groups. The feedback in respect of the tested translated guidelines was more positive indicating a better understanding of the EFBDGs by the various ethnic groups. This is because, not only were the English guidelines translated, but they were also adapted and words were contextualised according to the day-to-day language use of the groups.It was recommended that the guidelines be incorporated into the Integrated Nutrition Programme for the purpose of nutrition education as well as a guide for food service institutions serving the elderly. Also, it was recommended that the development of support material for health professionals and the wider community be undertaken and the material translated into all the official languages. Future strategies should include the implementation, evaluation and impact of the EFBDGs.Keywords: elderly nutrition, food based dietary guideline

Socio-demographic, household food security and nutritional status of older (> 50 y) women from rural Zambian communities: A descriptive study

Socio-demographic factors and household food insecurity are considered to influence the nutritional status of older women. The rapidly growing  elderly population in Africa is a concern particularly in sustaining their health and nutritional status. In spite of this, there is a scarcity of information  in older Zambian women and this study aimed to assess the socio-demographic factors, nutritional status and household food  insecurity status of older women in rural Zambian communities. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Twatasha compound of Kitwe and  Ndeke community of Ndola. The socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, dietary intakes and household food security  were evaluated in a convenience sample of 153 older women (≥ 50 years) through the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). IBM SPSS  version 26 was used for descriptive (frequencies, means and standard deviations, and medians with interquartile frequencies) and inferential  (bivariate and Spearman correlations) statistical analyses. The socio-demographic characteristics showed that almost all (98.7%) of the participants  had other members of the family residing with them. Most participants (57%) had attained primary school education, 19% had secondary education  and 5% had college education. Almost half (49%) of the participants did not report their employment status and 36% reported to be unemployed.  Over-nutrition was most prevalent (37.3% overweight and 39.8% obese) while 20.9 % and 2.0% of the respondents were normal weight and  underweight respectively. The median (25th percentile; 75th percentile) dietary intakes showed inadequate intakes for most nutrients, except for  carbohydrates (170 g [133;225]). The total fat intake represented 14% of total energy intake. The majority (86.0%) of the participants were identified  as severely food insecure while only 6.0% were food secure. The majority of the participants (80-90%) used at least seven out of the nine behavioural  responses to food insecurity. The findings show resource-poor and severely food insecure communities. We recommended urgent  interventions to improve access to healthy foods (such as home gardening projects) and promote healthy dietary habits (including nutrition  education).&nbsp

Sensory and Shelf-life evaluation of a Food Multi-Mix formulated for rural children in South Africa

Food multi-mix (FMM) assists in providing ingredients balance from each food group within the formulation and to ensure maximum nutritional value.The objective of the study is to evaluate the sensory and shelf life of a food multi-mix formulated for rural children in South Africa.. The food multi-mix was formulated in conformity with the nutritional requirements of children .The multi-mix ingredients consisted of maize ,which is a common staple in South Africa , spinach, sugar beans, carrots, pilchards in tomato sauce ,as an inexpensive source of protein and oil. The ingredients were dried , pasteurized and cooled at room temperature, 25°C . The FMM was ground into powder and immediately vacuum –sealed. The final recipes were standardized with 100g of multi-mix . They included peanut-butter biscuit , sweet muffin and savoury muffin.The inclusion of these ingredients improved the nutritional value and boosted energy density. The sensory evaluation of the FMM by the rural children was carried out using three attributes ; appearance , taste and smell , and a four –face hedonic scale representing very good , good , bad and very bad. The shelf-life of the FMM at room temperature , 25°C , for a period of 28 days was determined . 10g of FMM was aseptically used and homogenized with 90ml of diluent ( buffered peptone water ) . Total aerobic plate counts on tryptone soy agar incubated at 25°C for 3h, were analyzed .Coliform and E.coli counts on a violet red bile 4-methyl umberlifery –beta-D-glucuronide agar and incubated at 37°C for 2h , were determined. The presence of B.cereus and B. aureus were determined on the 1st day of the shelf life test. Results of the sensory evaluation by the rural children showed that 83.9 % of them preferred peanut butter and muffin , rated 73.1% for savoury muffin , and 94.5 % for the sweet muffin.The children had preference for sweet snack items.The total aerobic plate count in the FMM tested over a period of 28 days were below log 4/ g .Coliform and E .coli counts remained below 10 cfu / g throughout the shelf –life evaluation , while B.cereus and S . aureus were not detected. The presence of microbes detected in the FMM were less than 10 ,which indicated that the FMM is safe for human consumption when stored at room temperature for 28 days Data of the sensory and shelf evaluation of the formulated and prepared food multi-mix indicate that it is acceptable ,safe , suitable and may improve the nutritional intake of children

Presentation and interpretation of food intake data: factors affecting comparability across studies

Non-uniform, unclear, or incomplete presentation of food intake data limits interpretation, usefulness, and comparisons across studies. In this contribution, we discuss factors affecting uniform reporting of food intake across studies. The amount of food eaten can be reported as mean portion size, number of servings or total amount of food consumed per day; the absolute intake value for the specific study depends on the denominator used because food intake data can be presented as per capita intake or for consumers only. To identify the foods mostly consumed, foods are reported and ranked according to total number of times consumed, number of consumers, total intake, or nutrient contribution by individual foods or food groups. Presentation of food intake data primarily depends on a study's aim; reported data thus often are not comparable across studies. Food intake data further depend on the dietary assessment methodology used and foods in the database consulted; and are influenced by the inherent limitations of all dietary assessments. Intake data can be presented as either single foods or as clearly defined food groups. Mixed dishes, reported as such or in terms of ingredients and items added during food preparation remain challenging. Comparable presentation of food consumption data is not always possible; presenting sufficient information will assist valid interpretation and optimal use of the presented data. A checklist was developed to strengthen the reporting of food intake data in science communication.