Assessment of Meat Consumption Pattern in Mirab Abaya Woreda, Southern Ethiopia

Animal-source foods are food items that come from animals. Animal-source foods provide a variety of micronutrients that plant-source foods cannot provide to the same extent and without extra precaution. Milk, eggs, poultry, flesh meat and fish are animal-source foods mainly used in Ethiopia. Low animal-source food consumption among children and mothers is a great concern in many low-income settings. This study aimed to describe animal-source food consumption frequencies among children aged 6-24 months and their mothers in rural southern Ethiopia where livestock farming is very common. We also analysed the association between livestock ownership and animal-source food consumption among children and mothers. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 851 randomly selected households with child-mother pairs from August to November 2018. The study was conducted in the rural Dale District, southern Ethiopia. Structured and pre-tested questionnaires were used to collect data on mother and child information, livestock ownership, and animal-source foods consumption frequencies. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to describe associations between animal-source foods consumption and livestock ownership. Nearly, three-quarters (74.1%) of the households owned cows, and a quarter (25%) had goats or sheep. Dairy, egg and meat consumption among children during the past month was 91.8%, 83.0% and 26.2%, respectively. Likewise, the consumption of dairy, eggs and meat among mothers was 96.0%, 49.5% and 34.0%, respectively. The percentage of children who had not consumed any animal-source foods during the month prior to our survey was 6.6%, and the figure was 2.2% for the mothers. Dairy consumption was 1.8 times higher among children (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI [1.3-2.5]) and 3.0 times higher among mothers (aOR = 3.0, 95% CI [2.2-4.2]) in households that kept cows than in households without cows. The egg consumption frequency was positively associated with hen and goat/sheep ownership for both children and mothers. Meat consumption frequency among children was negatively associated with cow ownership (aOR = 0.66, 95% CI [0.45-0.95]); however, cow ownership was not associated with meat consumption among mothers. Dairy products were common animal-source foods consumed by young children and mothers in the study area. However, meat consumption was low among children and mothers. Strategies like promoting the keeping of goats/sheep and hens to improve complementary feeding and mothers' nutrition are warranted in the study area.

BackgroundIn the Ethiopian dairy farming system, prevalence of zoonotic diseases such as bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is high in the cattle population. This, combined with some risky milk and meat consumption habits, such as raw milk and uninspected raw meat consumption, poses a considerable risk of zoonotic disease transmission. A survey was conducted to investigate milk and meat consumption patterns, and the level of exposure to urban and peri-urban dairy-keeping households for risks of zoonotic disease transmission.MethodsData on milk and meat consumption behaviours and other socioeconomic and demographic variables were collected from 480 urban and peri-urban dairy farms randomly surveyed in major towns in Ethiopia (Mekele, Hawassa, and Gondar towns, Addis Ababa city, as well as five Oromia towns around Addis Ababa). Determinants of raw milk consumption associated with a number of demographic and socio-economic factors were analysed using a generalised ordered logistic model.ResultsThe results indicated that about 20% the population consumed raw milk and their awareness about pasteurisation and its benefits were low. Location, gender of the household head, previous bTB testing of cattle on the farm, knowledge of zoonotic risks associated with raw milk consumption, household size, and per-capita milk consumption were found to be important determinants of the frequency of raw milk consumption. About 60% of the respondents were exposed to the risk of zoonotic diseases through their habit of frequently consuming raw meat. This was despite that over 90% of the respondents were aware of possible zoonotic risks of raw meat consumption. The determinants of raw meat consumption behaviours were associated with location, gender and age of the household head, household size, meat type preference, per-capita meat consumption, knowledge about disease transmission risks, and training on zoonoses.ConclusionCreating awareness about the risk factors for zoonotic transmission of diseases through training and media campaigns, improving meat hygiene through better abattoir services, and inducing behavioural change around meat sourcing, raw meat and raw milk consumption, are all crucial to the successful prevention and control of the spread of zoonotic diseases, including bTB.

SummaryDespite a worldwide trend of expanding appetite for meat, scrutiny reveals that high levels of absolute meat consumption and high percentages of flexitarian consumers, who abstain from eating meat regularly, exist simultaneously. This article briefly examines this paradoxical combination of flexitarianism among Dutch food consumers in times of a dominant carnivorous food culture. Two representative surveys show that significant numbers of respondents declare that they eat no meat at dinner time for several days per week. Flexitarianism amid paramount carnivorism also emerges from consumers’ reactions to questions about both past changes in meat eating and intended future change. Considerable percentages of consumers indicate that their meat consumption has reduced and express their intention to mitigate meat eating in the foreseeable future. At the same time, large majorities of consumers report no change in their meat consumption pattern during the last year and an intention to continue this pattern next year. The presence of flexitarianism is an important phenomenon considering the economic, ethical (animal welfare) and environmental (ecological footprint) relevance of meat consumption. However, scientific and political attention on meat reduction and flexitarianism is rare in European countries but is vital in realising a more sustainable Europe.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the barriers perceived by consumers to lowering their meat consumption levels and adopting a plant-based diet, which means a diet that includes mainly non-meat foods, yet it can contain both vegetarian and meat meals.Design/methodology/approach– The prevalence of different barriers for following a plant-based diet is addressed, as well as consumer profiles considering socio-demographics, values and meat consumption frequencies. The data were collected in 2010 by a survey questionnaire, sent to 4,000 randomly selected Finns (response rate=47.3,n=1,890).Findings– Different types of barriers are perceived to hinder the adoption of a plant-based diet, including meat enjoyment, eating routines, health conceptions and difficulties in preparing vegetarian foods. These barriers are strongly correlated, indicating that consumers may not make qualitative difference between different barriers. Furthermore, there are distinct socio-demographic, value and especially meat consumption frequency elements that strengthen the barrier perception, these being male gender, young age, rural residence, household type of families with children, low education, absence of a vegetarian family member or friend, valuation of traditions and wealth and high meat consumption frequency.Social implications– High meat consumption is related to many environmental and public health problems. The results call for multifaceted policy implications that should concentrate on different barriers and certain socio-demographic, value and meat eating groups. Importantly, focus should be not only on the group with the strongest barrier perception but also on those particularly willing to make changes in their meat consumption patterns. One practical implication could be to increase the availability of vegetarian foods in public cafeterias or school canteens, as a decrease in meat consumption frequency is strongly correlated with the alleviation of the barrier perception.Originality/value– Information about differences in socio-demographics, values and meat consumption frequencies between consumers provide opportunities for focussing policy actions to aid the adoption of a plant-based diet.

Zoonotic diseases risk perceptions and protective behaviors of consumers associated with consumption of meat and milk in and around Bishoftu, Ethiopia

Objective: The metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), a sub-phenotype of obesity with a favorable metabolic profile, has been the focus of recent research interest. But the potential role of genetic predisposition or lifestyle factors in the MHO phenotype is yet to be clarified. We aimed to investigate the impact factors of MHO status in Chinese children. Design and Method: 1790 overweight and obese children aged 6–18 years old were included in this study. Participants were classified as MHO or metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) based on insulin resistance (IR) or cardio-metabolic risk (CR) factors (blood pressure, lipids and glucose). 28 genetic variants previously reported from GWAS on obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia were genotyped. The environmental factors of lifestyle, socio-economic status and birth weight were assessed by questionnaire. Overweight and obesity were defined using the sex- and age-specific BMI cut-offs recommended by the International Obesity Task Force. Age, sex, tanner stage and residence were adjusted for covariates. Results: The prevalence of MHO-IR and MHO-CR were 60.7% and 30.7%, respectively. Proportion of severe obesity and central obesity and levels of BMI and WC were lower in MHO children compared with MUO children regardless of definitions. In addition to BMI and WC, the frequency of meat and fruit consumption, GNPDA2- rs10938397 and KCTD15-rs29941 were independent predictors of MHO-IR, whereas the frequency of meat consumption, FTO -rs9939609, and CYP17A1- rs11191548 were independent predictors of MHO-CR. Conclusions: At least one-third of Chinese obese children can be classified as MHO. Both genetic predisposition and environment factors contribute to the prediction of MHO status.

Meat and fish contain easily digestible whole protein, B vitamins and numerous minerals, such as zinc, phosphorus and iron, thanks to which these products have a high nutritional value. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of consumption of meat and fish in young adults depending on gender. Data was collected from 200 respondents aged 19-30 using online survey questionnaire. The questionnaire was divided into three parts. The first part contained questions about sociodemographic and anthropometric data, the second part contained a question regarding the self-assessment of the diet. Whereas, the third part of the questionnaire concerned the frequency of consumption of meat and fish. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using Statistica 13.3 software and statistical significance was assumed at the p≤0.05 level. Meat consumption was declared by 86.5% of the respondents (83% of women and 90% of men), usually 5-6 times a week (20%). Gender statistically significantly differentiated the frequency of meat consumption. Men significantly more often consumed total meat (p=0.002), red meat (p=0.001) and poultry (p=0.004) compared to women. Fish was eaten by 85% of the respondents, and 39% only 1-3 times a month. Respondents preferred oily fish. There were no statistically significant differences in the consumption of fish by men and women. Considering the complexity of the relationship between men and women's meat and fish consumption and health, research is needed to clarify the amounts of meat and fish consumed, the degrees and how they are processed, and the reasons for eating or not eating them. This can be helpful in directions for nutritional education.

Diet is one of the important modifiable factors in prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D), making it important to understand geographical variations of food consumption pattern, their similarities and differences across various regions. Asian Indian diet patterns are mostly carbohydrate-based and with vast regional diversity. Staple food, food groups consumed, meat consumption pattern, type of fermented foods, food preparations, type of cooking oil used and food ingredients vary with different regions of India. There has been a slow transition from consumption of coarse grains to refined grains owing to socio-economic, cultural and other factors. Consumption of fruits and vegetables, fats, ready-to-eat foods and sugar is higher in urban population whereas consumption of carbohydrates in the form of cereals and millets is higher among the rural population. Cereal grains followed by pulses and legumes are main sources of protein, given that the frequency of meat consumption is low even among non-vegetarians in India compared to other countries. Overall, there is a tendency towards consumption of calorie-dense foods at the cost of food diversity, which may also result in micronutrient deficiencies as well as development of T2D and related metabolic diseases. Public health strategies and policy level decisions involving stakeholders with diet and lifestyle modification as focal points are absolute priorities to prevent and manage the burden of obesity and T2D in India.

The effect of meat consumption on cardiometabolic risk has been continuously studied, but their associations are not conclusive. The aim of this study is to examine the association between the consumption of meat or red meat and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in healthy Korean adults. This study evaluated 2374 community-dwelling adults (933 men and 1441 women) who were free of cardiovascular disease or cancer, living in a rural area in Korea. Total meat and red meat intakes were assessed with a validated 103 item-food frequency questionnaire. Carotid IMT was evaluated ultrasonographically, IMTmax was defined as the highest value among IMT of bilateral common carotid arteries. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, the mean IMTmax tended to increase in higher meat consumption groups in both men and women with metabolic syndrome (p for trend= 0.027 and 0.049, respectively), but not in participants without metabolic syndrome. Frequent meat consumption (≥5 servings/week) was significantly associated with higher IMTmax in men with metabolic syndrome (by 0.08 mm, p=0.015). Whereas, the association was not significant in women (by 0.05 mm, p=0.115). Similar but attenuated findings were shown with red meat intake. Our findings suggest that a higher meat consumption may be associated with a higher carotid IMT in Korean adults with metabolic syndrome. The frequent meat consumption (≥5 servings/week), compared with the others, was associated with a higher carotid IMTmax only in men with metabolic syndrome. Further research is required to explore optimal meat consumption in people with specific medical conditions.

High saturated fat consumption, mostly from red meat and sausage meat has been associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk (CVR) in contrast to the effect of high fish consumption. To get to know the frequency of meat and fish consumption in an elderly high Mediterranean population, their correlations with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and their association with intermediate CVR phenotypes. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 945 people (67.4±6.2 years old) with high CVR recruited in primary care centres of Valencia, and participating in the PREDIMED study. The frequency of meat and fish consumption was determined through a validated questionnaire. We analyzed clinical, biochemical and anthropometric variables using standard methods. Mean red meat consumption was high (7.4±4.7 times/week), being higher in men than in women (P=0.031) and was associated with greater weight (P=0.001) and prevalence of obesity (P=0.025). Fish consumption was also high (4.5±2.6 time/week) and was associated with lower concentrations of fasting plasma glucose (P=0.016) as well as with lower prevalence of diabetes (P=0.017). Red meat consumption in this high CVR population is very high and far from the recommendations of MD, needing, therefore, to be reduced. Fish consumption is closer to the recommendations and should be maintained.

Editor—Headlines such as “Big meat eaters cancer warning” ( Daily Mail , 13 September) have appeared in advance of the publication of the Department of Health's report on diet and...

How flexible are flexitarians? Examining diversity in dietary patterns, motivations and future intentions

Background: Meat and dairy products are important ingredients in Kazakhstan, although there are indications that high consumption of red and processed meat is associated with a risk of several non-communicable diseases and has an adverse impact on the environment. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary habits of young adults in Kazakhstan, particularly meat and fish consumption frequency among university students in five regions of Kazakhstan. Methods: The assessment of meat and fish consumption was based on the food frequency questionnaire. Region of residence, age, sex, weight, height and parental education were also self-reported. Results: Meat consumption among the participants was lower than recommended consumption of 1500 g per week in Kazakhstan but almost two-fold higher than the World Cancer Research Fund recommendations of 500 g per week. Approximately 24% of the participants reported to consume meat every day. Only 8.6% of the participants reported fish consumption in line with the recommendation of approximately 270 g per week in Kazakhstan. Meat and fish consumption was fairly homogeneous across regions and sex. Conclusion: The results from this study contribute to the relatively limited information on meat and fish consumption in Kazakhstan. Further knowledge on dietary habits and probably improved nutrition recommendations on meat consumption in Kazakhstan are needed to protect public health and the environment.

Background: High saturated fat consumption, mostly from red meat and sausage meat has been associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk (CVR) in contrast to the effect of high fish consumption. Objective: To get to know the frequency of meat and fish consumption in an elderly high Mediterranean population, their correlations with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and their association with intermediate CVR phenotypes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 945 people (67.4 ± 6.2 years old) with high CVR recruited in primary care centres of Valencia, and participating in the PREDIMED study. The frequency of meat and fish consumption was determined through a validated questionnaire. We analyzed clinical, biochemical and anthropometric variables using standard methods. Results: Mean red meat consumption was high (7.4 ± 4.7 times/week), being higher in men than in women (P = 0.031) and was associated with greater weight (P = 0.001) and prevalence of obesity (P = 0.025). Fish consumption was also high (4.5 ± 2.6 time/week) and was associated with lower concentrations of fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.016) as well as with lower prevalence of diabetes (P = 0.017). Conclusion: Red meat consumption in this high CVR population is very high and far from the recommendations of MD, needing, therefore, to be reduced. Fish consumption is closer to the recommendations and should be maintained.

The factors affecting purchasing and consumption of meat are diverse and complex. The objective of this study was to understand the social and cultural parameters associated with the meat purchasing and consumption pattern of southern province in Sri Lanka. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was employed to collect information from 265 consumers. All the respondents consumed at least one kind of animal product. Only 1 % of respondents did not consume any type of meat. Eighty five percent of the respondents had established their meat consumption pattern at their child age. The religious believes (74 %), economic concerns (47 %) and antipathy for killing animals (82 %) were the most popular reasons for not being meat consumers. The most preferred meat types were chicken followed by mutton, beef and pork. There was a significant correlation between the type of meat consumed and sex, religion, family size but not with type of market (rural vs. urban), education level and occupation. An inverse relationship was found between age and meat consumption. Financial capabilities, religious concerns and preference of children were the priority determinant that influenced the purchasing behaviour of meat and meat products. It was concluded that the meat and meat product market in Sri Lanka should be diversified to match with the diverse preferences for different meat types. Key words: Meat; purchasing; consumption; socio-cultural DOI: 10.4038/jas.v5i2.2786The Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2010, vol. 5, no 2 pp.71-79