Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T00:37:29.968Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Fortification of maize meal improved the nutritional status of 1–3-year-old African children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Alufheli E Nesamvuni ,
Hester H Vorster ,
Barrie M Margetts  and
Annamarie Kruger
Alufheli E Nesamvuni*
Affiliation:
Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, Technikon Gauteng, Pretoria, South Africa
Hester H Vorster
Affiliation:
School of Physiology, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus), Potchefstroom, South Africa
Barrie M Margetts
Affiliation:
Public Health Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
Annamarie Kruger
Affiliation:
School of Physiology, Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus), Potchefstroom, South Africa
*
*Corresponding author: Email nesamvuniae@tut.ac.za
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of a vitamin-fortified maize meal to improve the nutritional status of 1–3-year-old malnourished African children.

Design

A randomised parallel intervention study was used in which 21 experimental children and their families received maize meal fortified with vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine, while 23 control children and their families received unfortified maize meal. The maize meal was provided for 12 months to replace the maize meal habitually consumed by these households.

Methods

Sixty undernourished African children with height-for-age or weight-for-age below the 5th percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics' criteria and aged 1–3 years were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. Baseline measurements included demographic, socio-economic and dietary data, as well as height, weight, haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum retinol and retinol-binding protein (RBP). Anthropometric, blood and serum variables were measured again after 12 months of intervention. Complete baseline measurements were available for 44 children and end data for only 36. Changes in these variables from baseline to end within and between groups were assessed for significance with paired t-tests, t-tests and analysis of variances using the SPSS program, controlling for expected weight gain in this age group over 12 months. Relationships between changes in variables were examined by calculating correlation coefficients.

Results

The children in the experimental group had a significantly (P≤0.05) higher increase in body weight than control children (4.6 kg vs. 2.0 kg) and both groups had significant (P≤0.05) but similar increases in height. The children in the experimental group showed non-significant increases in haemoglobin and serum retinol, while the control children had a significant (P = 0.007) decrease in RBP. The change in serum retinol showed a significant correlation with baseline retinol (P = 0.014), RBP (P = 0.007) and weight (P = 0.029), as well as with changes in haemoglobin (P = 0.029).

Conclusion

Despite a small sample size, this study showed positive effects of a vitamin-fortified maize meal on weight gain and some variables of vitamin A status in 1–3-year-old African children. The study confirmed the relationship between vitamin A and iron status. The results suggest that fortification of maize meal would be an effective strategy to address micronutrient deficiencies in small children in South Africa.

Keywords

FortificationUndernutritionAnthropometryMaize mealVitamin AHaemoglobinSouth AfricaChildren
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 8 , Issue 5 , August 2005 , pp. 461 - 467
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2005

References

1Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Human Nutrition in the Developing World. Rome: FAO, 1997.Google Scholar
2South African Vitamin A Consultative Group (SAVACG). Anthropometric, Vitamin A, Iron and Immunization Coverage Status in Children aged 6–71 months in South Africa, 1994. Isando: SAVACG, 1995.Google Scholar
3Labadarios, D, ed. The National Food Consumption Survey – Children aged 1–9 years, South Africa, 1999. Pretoria: Department of Health, 2000.Google Scholar
4MacIntyre, U. Dietary intakes of Africans in transition in the North West Province. PhD thesis, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Potchefstroom, South Africa 1998.Google Scholar
5National Center for Health Statistics. NCHS Growth Curves for Children: Birth to 18 years. DHEW Publication No. (PHS) 78 – 1650. Hyatsville, MD: US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Public Health Services, 1999.Google Scholar
6Tladinyane, P. The differences in factors influencing childcare between mothers/care-givers of undernourished and well nourished children aged 1–4 years in Oukasie (Brits), North West Province. Masters thesis, MEDUNSA, Pretoria, South Africa, 2002.Google Scholar
7Oelofse, A. Micronutrient deficiencies in South African infants and the effect of a micronutrient-fortified complementary food on their nutritional status, growth and development PhD thesis, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 2001.Google Scholar
8Fawzi, WW, Herrera, MG, Willett, WC, Nestel, P, el-Amin, A, Mohamed, KA. Dietary vitamin A intake in relation to child growth. Epidemiology 1997; 8(4): 402–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9West, KP, LeClerq, SC, Shrestha, SR, Wu, LS, Pradhan, EK, Khatry, SK, et al. Effects of vitamin A on growth of vitamin A-deficient children: field studies in Nepal. Journal of Nutrition 1997; 127(10): 1957–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Meyer, BJ, Meij, HS, Grey, SV, van Papendorp, DH, Seeges, JC, Labuschagne, CJJ, et al. Die fisiologiese basis van geneeskunde. Pretoria: HAUM Uitgewery, 1988.Google Scholar
11Thurnham, DI, Vitamin A iron and haemopoiesis. Lancet 1993; 342(8883): 1312–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Coutsoudis, A, Broughton, M, Coovadia, HM. Vitamin A supplementation reduces measles morbidity in young African children: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1991; 54(5): 890–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Lie, C, Ying, C, Wang, EL, Brun, T, Geissler, C. Impact of large-dose vitamin A supplementation on childhood diarrhoea, respiratory disease and growth. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1993; 47(2): 88–96.Google ScholarPubMed