Abstract
BackgroundStunting and micronutrient deficiencies are significant health problems among infants and young children in rural Tanzania. Objective of the study was to assess feeding practices, nutrient content of complementary meals, and their implications for dietary adequacy and nutritional status.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in six randomly selected villages in Mpwapwa District, Tanzania during the post-harvest season. Information on feeding practices, dietary consumption and anthropometric measurements of all infants below the age of one year were collected. Forty samples of common meals were collected and analysed for proximate composition, iron, zinc and calcium. Results were expressed per 100 g dry weight.ResultsEnergy, protein and fat content in porridge ranged from 40.67–63.92 kcal, 0.54–1.74 % and 0.30-2.12 %, respectively. Iron, zinc and calcium contents (mg/100 g) in porridge were 0.11–2.81, 0.10–3.23, and 25.43-125.55, respectively. Median portion sizes were small (porridge: 150–350 g; legumes and meats: 39–90 g). Very few children (6.67 %) consumed animal-source foods. Low meal frequency, low nutrient content, small portion size and limited variety reduced the contribution of meals to daily nutritional needs.ConclusionsFindings of the study highlight inadequate feeding practices, low nutritional quality of meals and high prevalence of stunting. Feasible strategies are needed to address the dietary inadequacies and chronic malnutrition of rural infants.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12887-015-0489-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Stunting and micronutrient deficiencies are significant health problems among infants and young children in rural Tanzania
Households in rural Tanzania depend on rain-fed, small subsistence farming for their livelihoods
The study shows that inadequate feeding practices, low nutrient content of complementary meals, decreased dietary contribution to nutritional requirements and high prevalence of chronic undernutrition are very common among infants in rural Dodoma during the post-harvest season
Summary
Stunting and micronutrient deficiencies are significant health problems among infants and young children in rural Tanzania. Widespread undernutrition in low-income countries continues to exert enormous cost in terms of survival among infants and young children [1, 2]. Chronic undernutrition (defined as stunting) and micronutrient deficiencies are significant health problems among infants and young children in Tanzania. Children in rural areas were more affected than their. Rainfall variability (e.g. timing, amount, frequency, patterns), widespread in semi-arid areas of the country, affects the timing of crop harvests and amount of food stocks in. Kulwa et al BMC Pediatrics (2015) 15:171 central regions (Dodoma, Singida). It was reported that 45–55 % of households in central regions were food insecure in 2006, whereas over one-third of households with tenuous access to food were reported in 2010 [7]. Proportion of households receiving food aid in Dodoma was 66.6 %
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