Abstract
To develop an online food composition database of locally consumed foods among an Indigenous population in south-western Uganda. Using a community-based approach and collaboration with local nutritionists, we collected a list of foods for inclusion in the database through focus group discussions, an individual dietary survey and markets and shops assessment. The food database was then created using seven steps: identification of foods for inclusion in the database; initial data cleaning and removal of duplicate items; linkage of foods to existing generic food composition tables; mapping and calculation of the nutrient content of recipes and foods; allocating portion sizes and accompanying foods; quality checks with local and international nutritionists; and translation into relevant local languages. Kanungu District, south-western Uganda. Seventy-four participants, 36 Indigenous Batwa and 38 Bakiga, were randomly selected and interviewed to inform the development of a food list prior the construction of the food database. We developed an online food database for south-western Uganda including 148 commonly consumed foods complete with values for 120 micronutrients and macronutrients. This was for use with the online dietary assessment tool myfood24. Of the locally reported foods included, 56 % (n 82 items) of the items were already available in the myfood24 database, while 25 % (n 37 items) were found in existing Ugandan and Tanzanian food databases, 18 % (n 27 items) came from generated recipes and 1 % (n 2 items) from food packaging labels. Locally relevant food databases are sparse for African Indigenous communities. Here, we created a tool that can be used for assessing food intake and for tracking undernutrition among the communities living in Kanungu District. This will help to develop locally relevant food and nutrition policies.
Highlights
South-western Ugandan foods and dishes available in myfood24 database The south-western Ugandan food database contains 148 of the most consumed foods among the Batwa and Bakiga communities living in Kanungu District, with complete information on 120 micronutrients and macronutrients
Fifty-six per cent (82 items) of the foods were already available in the myfood24 database from the generic UK Composition of Foods Integrated Database (COFID) tables, while the other 43 % (64 items) were added from African food composition tables (26 %) and generated recipes (18 %)
Designing a locally relevant food composition database may be useful for monitoring the prevalence of undernutrition and identifying individuals potentially at risk of nutritional deficiencies (e.g. Fe)(25)
Summary
Study region and population The Batwa community, self-identified as Indigenous, lives in south-western Uganda and represents a minority group in Kanungu District[14]. The Batwa were originally hunter-gathers until their displacement in 1991 from the forest, known as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park[17] They became a sedentary population frequently employed by the Bakiga in agriculture. The Bakiga are traditionally farmers whose income comes primarily from food crops[16] Both populations are highly vulnerable to food insecurity, malnutrition (especially stunting), acute gastrointestinal diseases (including vomiting, diarrhoea and associated symptoms) and malaria[19]. The framework aimed at constructing food composition tables for low-income areas. It is composed of two stages: the first stage comprised fieldwork and a mixed methodology to collect a list of foods consumed, along with recipes and portion sizes (Scarpa et al, 2020, in submission). Stage 1 Detailed methods and results from Stage 1 are presented elsewhere (Scarpa et al, 2020, in submission), with this
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
