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Review Article
Determinants of Child Undernutrition in Tanzania: Agriculture and Season Perspective: A Review
Happiness Samuel Muhimbula
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2024
Pages:
1-19
Received:
7 November 2023
Accepted:
8 December 2023
Published:
8 January 2024
Abstract: The causes of undernutrition are known to be complex and interrelated which need responses and solutions from different sectors to effectively design proper nutrition interventions. The UNICEF conceptual framework is a useful tool for understanding the causes of undernutrition and serves as a guide for assessing and analysing the causes, particularly among children in developing countries. Identifying determinants of child nutrition status is a necessary step in designing interventions, policies and programme that can support the scaling up of nutrition. This review scrutinizes undernutrition and its determinants based on the UNICEF conceptual framework on malnutrition. Poor feeding practices and characteristic of complementary foods were observed as immediate causes while household’s food insecurity, environmental factors such as agricultural practices and seasonal influences as underlying determinants particularly in rural households. The highlight from this review suggests that seasons had significant impact on both immediate and underlying determinants of undernutrition and therefore intervention to improve nutrition status should consider variation in agriculture seasons. Lastly, multicomponent interventions focusing on agricultural interventions and practices that are affecting immediate changes in nutrition status among infants and young children are emphasized. Future attempt to improve children nutrition status in rural households should be multicomponent addressing nutrition sensitives farming practices including rural livestock intensification, poverty alleviation and considering agricultural seasons in all planning.
Abstract: The causes of undernutrition are known to be complex and interrelated which need responses and solutions from different sectors to effectively design proper nutrition interventions. The UNICEF conceptual framework is a useful tool for understanding the causes of undernutrition and serves as a guide for assessing and analysing the causes, particular...
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Research Article
Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity of Methanol Extract of Capsicum annum (Red Bell Pepper), Capsicum frutescens (Chili Pepper), and Capsicum annum (Green Bell Pepper)
Joseph Akor,
Ebuka Leonard Onyeyilim*,
Joseph Ejiofor Ugwu,
Eze Cosmas Chinweike
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2024
Pages:
20-26
Received:
20 November 2023
Accepted:
19 December 2023
Published:
8 January 2024
Abstract: In This research, we focused on the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of three major categories of pepper grown in Nsukka, a small town located in Enugu State, in the Eastern part of Nigeria. The number of vitamins and organic compounds present in pepper may be affected by maturity, genotype, and processing. Also, the ascorbic acid content in peppers varies according to species, maturity, processing, and geographical location Capsicum annum (Red Bell Pepper), Capsicum frutescens (Chili Pepper), and Capsicum annum (Green Bell Pepper) species of pepper were obtained from the local market in Nsukka local government of Enugu State, Nigeria. These species of pepper were dried and ground individually. The different selected species of pepper (0.1 g) were treated with methanol, stirred for 45 minutes, and filtered before the antioxidant activity test was carried out using the DPPH assay technique, and Ascorbic acid as the standard control. Their absorbencies were obtained from the UV/V Spectrophotometer, and their% inhibition, mean and standard deviation values were also calculated according to the concentrations of the different sample solutions. Capsicum annum (Red Bell Pepper) showed the highest antioxidant activity, followed by Capsicum frutescens (Chili Pepper), while Capsicum annum (Green Bell Pepper) possessed the lowest antioxidant activity.
Abstract: In This research, we focused on the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of three major categories of pepper grown in Nsukka, a small town located in Enugu State, in the Eastern part of Nigeria. The number of vitamins and organic compounds present in pepper may be affected by maturity, genotype, and processing. Also, the ascorbic acid content in ...
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Research Article
Prevalence and Determinants of Metabolic Risk Factors Among University Students in Dodoma and Morogoro Regions Tanzania
Neema Mgetta*,
Happiness Muhimbula,
Kissa Kulwa
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2024
Pages:
27-40
Received:
5 December 2023
Accepted:
25 December 2023
Published:
8 January 2024
Abstract: University students often face a multitude of health risks due to the transitional phase they experience. The lifestyles they adopt increase their susceptibility to metabolic issues that are of a public health concern. Metabolic risk factors, encompassing obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and elevated glucose levels pose significant health concerns among this demographic. The cluster of these metabolic risk factors is known as a metabolic syndrome which has the potential to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases amongst young populations who are linked with the adaptation of health risk behaviours. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of metabolic risk factors of university students in two regions that were purposively selected from mainland Tanzania. The distribution of continuous variables was tested for normality using box plots and-Q plots and the Shapiro-Wilk test. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to assess the determinants of metabolic risk factors among variables. The metabolic risk factors that were assessed include blood pressure, glucose levels, central obesity, and lipid profiles. The most prevalent metabolic risk factor was the high levels of low-density lipoprotein among university students. The study found Low-density lipoprotein levels that were above optimal, borderline high, high and very high. The low-density lipoprotein levels found in the study were 24 (20.3%), 16 (13.6%), 13 (11%) and 17 (14.4%) for above optimal, borderline high, high, and very high respectively. Significant associations were also found in the determinants of the metabolic risk factors, for central obesity (P=0.000) and for triglyceride levels (P=0.000); (P=0.004). Factors that increase the susceptibility to metabolic risk factors include the location of the university, scholarship status and Individual dietary diversity scores. Saint John’s University in Dodoma was associated with low-density lipoprotein and Total cholesterol (β=17.01, SE=10.1, p=0.1) and (β=-0.170, SE=0.0519, p=0.01) respectively. Receiving scholarship and high dietary diversity score was associated with low-density lipoprotein (β=21.83, SE=10.4, p=0.1); (β=5.731, SE=3.14, p=0.1) respectively. University students are living with metabolic risk factors that could have future health implications. Understanding these aspects can help in devising targeted interventions and educational programs to mitigate metabolic risks and promote healthier lifestyles among university students.
Abstract: University students often face a multitude of health risks due to the transitional phase they experience. The lifestyles they adopt increase their susceptibility to metabolic issues that are of a public health concern. Metabolic risk factors, encompassing obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and elevated glucose levels pose significant health conce...
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Research Article
Improving the Quality of Bread Made from Corn and Wheat Flour Acceptable by Congolese Consumers
Mikolo Bertin*,
Tsoumou Kedar,
Elenga Michel
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2024
Pages:
41-54
Received:
2 January 2024
Accepted:
25 January 2024
Published:
5 February 2024
Abstract: The study aims to improve the quality of bread made from corn and wheat flours acceptable to Congolese consumers. Wheat is the most consumed food at breakfast, but it is not within the reach of all budgets. To address this shortage, several alternatives exist to replace wheat flour with other cereals or starches. A bread formulation composed of wheat and corn flours acceptable to Congolese consumers was explored. The study involved three experiments to optimize the sensory characteristics of bread made from wheat and corn flours. The first experiment focused on improving the sensory quality of bread made from a mixture of malted and unmalted corn flours. The experiment involved a two-component simplex centroid mixture design, with unmalted corn flour (A) and malted corn flour (B) mixed for a total of 18 g. The second experiment examined the effects of salt and sugar mixture on the quality of corn and wheat flour bread. The third experiment evaluated the effects of humidity and baking time on the color, smell, and taste of bread. The bread samples were made according to a formulation resulting from previous optimization experiments, with the same proportions of ingredients. The bread preparation process involved weighing and mixing the ingredients, kneading manually for a specific time. The optimization resulted in a flour mixture of 11% malted corn and 48% wheat with other ingredients. The sensory evaluation of this bread gave an average score of 7 on a 1 to 9 scale, confirming the predictions of the optimization. The physicochemical characterization gave the following values: 22.76% water content, 10.18% protein, 3% ash, 1.43% lipids and 0.01 to 0.04% calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus.
Abstract: The study aims to improve the quality of bread made from corn and wheat flours acceptable to Congolese consumers. Wheat is the most consumed food at breakfast, but it is not within the reach of all budgets. To address this shortage, several alternatives exist to replace wheat flour with other cereals or starches. A bread formulation composed of whe...
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Research Article
Evaluation of the Dietary Practices of Breastfeeding Mothers: Case of General Hospitals in Bonoua and Dabou
Gnelle Assita Coulibaly*,
Audrey Herbert Yépié,
Naty Tadiogo Koné,
Anin Louise Anin-Atchibri,
Adjehi Dadié
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2024
Pages:
55-60
Received:
11 January 2024
Accepted:
25 January 2024
Published:
5 February 2024
Abstract: The dietary practices of breastfeeding mothers are of crucial importance as they impact the health and development of their infants. Unfortunately, these dietary practices often do not align with recommendations. A prospective descriptive study was conducted to assess the dietary practices of 120 breastfeeding mothers. The study spanned seven months and took place in general hospitals in Bonoua and Dabou. Socio-demographic characteristics, dietary habits of breastfeeding mothers, and food consumption frequencies over a 7-day period were determined using an adapted questionnaire. The results revealed that the majority of mothers were aged between 25 and 34 years (50.8%), had a secondary education level (40%), were in a relationship, and worked as artisans, traders, or business owners. Regarding dietary practices, 68.4% of mothers consumed at least three meals per day, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with an estimated water intake between 1 and 1.5 L/day (60.9%). The dietary profile of breastfeeding women from Dabou and Bonoua consisted, in descending order, of fresh vegetables (99.2%), tubers and cereals (99.2%), meats, fish, and eggs (99.2%), oil (86.7%), sugar and sweet products (79.1%), and dairy products (58.1%). However, fruits (43.8%) and dried vegetables (3%) were less frequently consumed. 20% of women avoided certain foods during breastfeeding, and 23.3% consumed alcohol. In conclusion, it would be essential to conduct awareness campaigns to improve the dietary practices of breastfeeding mothers.
Abstract: The dietary practices of breastfeeding mothers are of crucial importance as they impact the health and development of their infants. Unfortunately, these dietary practices often do not align with recommendations. A prospective descriptive study was conducted to assess the dietary practices of 120 breastfeeding mothers. The study spanned seven month...
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Research Article
In vivo Antihyperlipidemic and Antioxidant Effect of Oil Extracted from Sardinella maderensis (Lowe, 1838) on Strain Wistar Rats
Jules Christophe Manz Koule*,
Régine Somon Tuem,
Roland Jethro Ekwalla Misse Ngangue,
Fabrice Fabien Dongho Dongmo,
Merlin Ngafon Nchoutpouen,
Jean Valery François Nsoga,
Mathieu Ndomou,
Inocent Gouado
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2024
Pages:
61-71
Received:
5 January 2024
Accepted:
23 January 2024
Published:
21 February 2024
Abstract: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the leading causes of death and disability, the main cause of which is hyperlipidemia. This work aimed to evaluate the antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant in vivo potential of oil extracted from Sardinella maderensis on rats. The oil was extracted according to the method of Bligh and Dyer and underwent chemical analysis prior to in vivo assays. After studying in vivo the acute toxicity of S. maderensis oil, their antihyperlipidemic was assessed. Twenty-four male Wistar adult rats were randomly divided into four groups of 6 rats each. During a three-week experiment, group 1 was fed with standard laboratory diet (SLD); group 2 received SLD supplemented with boiled egg yolk (5 g/day/rat); group 3 was fed with SLD supplemented with S. maderensis oil (1 g/day/kg of body mass) and group 4 was fed with SLD supplemented with boiled egg yolk and S. maderensis oil. Liver, lung, kidney, adipose tissues and heart were later removed, weighted and analyzed. Some blood biochemical and oxidative stress parameters were also measured. Results showed that S. maderensis oil was siccative, good quality with a lethal dose greater than 5000 mg/Kg of CP and no signs of toxicity were observed. Hyperlipidemic diet increased significantly (p ˂ 0.05) lipid profil, glycemia, uremia, activity of transaminase and γGT, oxidative stress in group 2 compared to other groups. Supplementation with S. maderensis oil significantly (p˂0.05) reduced Lee's index, weight gain and BMI by 8.12%, 26.33% and 19.11% respectively in group 4 compared with group 2. Supplementation with S. maderensis oil decreased significantly (p ˂ 0.05) total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, glycemia, proteinemia and increased levels of HDL-cholesterol in group 4 compared to group 2. Supplementation with S. maderensis oil significantly (p < 0.05) reduced TBARS levels by 54.36% and significantly (p < 0.05) increased GSH levels, SOD, CAT and PON-1 activity by 64.90%, 20.76%, 48.70% and 7.47 respectively in group 4 compared to group 2. This study shows that S. maderensis oil can be used in prevention of hyperlipidemia.
Abstract: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the leading causes of death and disability, the main cause of which is hyperlipidemia. This work aimed to evaluate the antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant in vivo potential of oil extracted from Sardinella maderensis on rats. The oil was extracted according to the method of Bligh and Dyer and underwent chemic...
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Review Article
Early Childhood Anemia in Rural Bangladesh: The Role of Iron Deficiency, Infections, and Inadequate Complementary Feeding Techniques
Talukder Mujib*,
Mujibur Rahman,
Belfar Hossain,
Mir Hasan Moslem,
Khalid Ahmed Syfulla
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, February 2024
Pages:
72-78
Received:
20 January 2024
Accepted:
4 February 2024
Published:
21 February 2024
Abstract: Anemia and iron deficiency increased quickly until 8 to 9 months of age, while the prevalence of subclinical infections remained stable. Apart from age and male sex, iron deficiency and subclinical infections were the main risk factors for anemia. Similarly, age, male sex, and subclinical illnesses were important risk factors for iron deficiency. In early rural Bangladeshi newborns, the burden of anemia and iron deficiency is particularly severe during the key transition period of increased physiological Fe requirements corresponding to the early phase of supplementary feeding, which lasts from 6 to 11 months of age. Nutritional and infection control strategies alone are insufficient. as soon as they begin providing them with complimentary foods. The increasing prevalence of anaemia and Iron Deficiency during the first 3 months of the complementary feeding period highlights the need to support mothers to introduce Fe supplements or Fe-rich foods or products in their infants’ diet as soon as they start giving them complementary foods. In order to reduce anemia and Iron Deficiency in this population, it is imperative to incorporate methods related to water, sanitation, and hygiene, as well as parasitic disease control, given the high prevalence of subclinical infections and their role in these conditions. In order to avoid anemia during infancy in Bangladesh, a multipronged approach involving both infection control techniques and dietary Fe consumption improvements is required. A person's capacity to work is restricted by anemia and iron deficiency, which can potentially have serious negative economic repercussions and impede the advancement of the country. Because of all of this, it is generally accepted that lowering the global burden of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia is a top priority in public health nutrition.
Abstract: Anemia and iron deficiency increased quickly until 8 to 9 months of age, while the prevalence of subclinical infections remained stable. Apart from age and male sex, iron deficiency and subclinical infections were the main risk factors for anemia. Similarly, age, male sex, and subclinical illnesses were important risk factors for iron deficiency. I...
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