Department of Consumer Sciences: Food and Nutrition, Durban University of Technology, 70 Steve Biko Road, Musgrave, Berea 4001, South Africa.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 31;18(1):261. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010261.
Despite the numerous efforts to improve the nutritional status of children, a high prevalence of malnutrition still exists in South Africa. This study aimed to determine the nutritional status of children attending Early Child Development centres in South Africa. In this baseline study, we randomly selected two Early Child Development centres comprising 116 children aged 24-60 months, separated into two cohorts, of 24-47 months and 48-60 months. Dietary intake was measured through the 24 hDR and analysed using Food Finder software. The food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the food variety and food group diversity scores. Anthropometric measurements were taken and the WHO Anthro software was used to convert it to nutritional data indices. Blood samples were collected through dried blood spot cards in order to determine serum retinol and haemoglobin levels and they were assessed using WHO indicators. The findings showed that participants between 24 and 47 months had a high mean energy intake (4906.2 kJ and 4997.9 kJ for girls and boys, respectively). For the 48-60 months age group, energy intake was lower than the EER (5936.4 kJ and 5621.2 kJ; = 0.038). There was low fruit and vegetable consumption (24-47 months; 63.8 g and 69.5 g ( = 0.037), 48-60 months; 68.3 g and 74.4 g ( = 0.038) and the top five foods consumed were carbohydrate rich foods for girls and boys, respectively. Stunting was noted in 7% and 20% (48-60 months) ( = 0.012) and overweight in 8% and 17% (24-47 months) and 17% and 13% (48-60 months) ( = 0.041) in girls and boys, respectively. Low serum retinol levels (<0.070 µmol/L) were found in 9.1% of boys (24-47 months), and 8% and 7.4% of girls and boys (48-60 months), respectively. Low haemoglobin levels (<11.0 g/dL) were found in 50.0% and 30.4% (24-47 months) and 8.6% and 39.3% (48-60 months) of girls and boys, respectively. Malnutrition, despite many national and provincial initiatives, still exists in Early Childhood Development centres in South Africa, calling for the application of contextualized nutrition interventions to suit resource-poor settings.
尽管为改善儿童营养状况做出了众多努力，但南非仍有很高的营养不良发生率。本研究旨在确定南非早期儿童发展中心儿童的营养状况。在这项基线研究中，我们随机选择了两个包含 116 名 24-60 个月龄儿童的早期儿童发展中心，将其分为两个队列，24-47 个月和 48-60 个月。通过 24 小时膳食回顾法测量膳食摄入量，并使用 Food Finder 软件进行分析。使用食物频率问卷计算食物种类和食物组多样性得分。进行人体测量，并使用世卫组织 Anthro 软件将其转换为营养数据指标。通过干血斑卡片采集血样，以确定血清视黄醇和血红蛋白水平，并使用世卫组织指标进行评估。研究结果表明，24-47 个月组的参与者平均能量摄入较高（女孩和男孩分别为 4906.2 kJ 和 4997.9 kJ）。对于 48-60 个月组，能量摄入低于 EAR（女孩和男孩分别为 5936.4 kJ 和 5621.2 kJ； = 0.038）。水果和蔬菜摄入量较低（24-47 个月；女孩和男孩分别为 63.8 g 和 69.5 g（ = 0.037），48-60 个月；女孩和男孩分别为 68.3 g 和 74.4 g（ = 0.038）），前 5 名食用食物均为富含碳水化合物的食物。在女孩和男孩中，分别有 7%和 20%（48-60 个月）（ = 0.012）出现发育迟缓，8%和 17%（24-47 个月）和 17%和 13%（48-60 个月）（ = 0.041）出现超重。24-47 个月组男孩中有 9.1%（24-47 个月）血清视黄醇水平低于 0.070 μmol/L，女孩和男孩中分别有 8%和 7.4%（48-60 个月）和 8%和 7.4%（48-60 个月）血清视黄醇水平低于 0.070 μmol/L。血红蛋白水平较低（<11.0 g/dL），24-47 个月组女孩和男孩分别为 50.0%和 30.4%，48-60 个月组女孩和男孩分别为 8.6%和 39.3%。尽管有许多国家和省级举措，但南非早期儿童发展中心仍然存在营养不良问题，这需要实施适合资源匮乏环境的具体营养干预措施。
