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Supplement: Animal Source Foods to Improve Micronutrient Nutrition in Developing Countries

Experiences of a Community-Based Dietary Intervention to Enhance Micronutrient Adequacy of Diets Low in Animal Source Foods and High in Phytate: A Case Study in Rural Malawian Children¹

Rosalind S. Gibson^*,2, Fiona Yeudall^*,3, Nancy Drost^,4, Beatrice M. Mtitimuni^** and Timothy R. Cullinan

^* Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, Department of Sociology in Education and Equity Studies, OISE at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, ^** Bunda College of Agriculture, University of Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi and Department of Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi

² To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Rosalind.Gibson{at}stonebow.otago.ac.nz.

A community-based dietary diversification/modification intervention, employing a quasiexperimental design with a nonequivalent control group, was conducted in two intervention and two control villages in rural Southern Malawi. The aim was to enhance the content and bioavailability of micronutrients in maize-based diets of stunted children ages 30–90 mo. Efficacy was evaluated through a comparison of the changes in knowledge and practices, anthropometry, malaria screening, hemoglobin and hair zinc after 12 mo, common infections monthly postintervention and nutrient adequacy postintervention via 24-h recalls. Intervention diets were more diverse and of higher quality than the control diets, supplying significantly more animal source foods, especially soft-boned fish, but less phytic acid (p < 0.01). Median intakes of energy, protein, calcium, available zinc, heme iron and vitamin B-12 were greater (p < 0.05) in intervention compared to the control groups; some spread of knowledge and practices to the control groups occurred. Intervention enhanced Z-scores for mid-upper-arm circumference and arm muscle area (p < 0.001), but had no impact on weight or height gain. After controlling for baseline variables, mean hemoglobin was higher (107 vs. 102 g/L; p < 0.01) postintervention, whereas incidence of anemia and common infections were lower in the intervention groups compared to the control groups, with no change in malaria or hair zinc status. Dietary strategies reduced the prevalence of inadequate intakes of protein, calcium, zinc and vitamin B-12, but not iron, because fish was the major source of animal food consumed. More efforts to raise small animals and promote their consumption are needed to enhance dietary quality and ensure optimal growth, health and cognitive development in young Malawian children.

KEY WORDS: • animal source foods • phytic acid • dietary quality • Malawi • micronutrients

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Hotz and R. S. Gibson Traditional Food-Processing and Preparation Practices to Enhance the Bioavailability of Micronutrients in Plant-Based Diets J. Nutr., April 1, 2007; 137(4): 1097 - 1100. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]