Abstract
More than half of the morbidity and mortality cases among children in Kenya are as a result of micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs). Food fortification is considered by the Government of Kenya as a feasible strategy for addressing MNDs. Worldwide, fortification has been proven to be effective since it does not require any change in dietary habits. Success of large-scale food fortification however may depend on consumer awareness of the fortification benefits. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 13 counties to collect information on fortification awareness using structured questionnaires. 1435 respondents were selected using the Lot Quality Assurance Sampling method. Data were analyzed using Stata version 14.0 and statistical significance p < 0.05. The study participants were described using descriptive statistics. The association of sociodemographic characteristics and awareness of fortification was performed using binary logistic regression analysis. The median age of the study participants was 35 years. Only 28% of the respondents were aware of the term “fortification.” Of the respondents, about 27% heard of food fortification through radio. Vernacular radio emerged as the most preferred channel for communicating fortification information among 24.9% of the respondents. Although awareness of vitamins (32%) and minerals (1.5%) was limited, most (76%) respondents reported of existence of health risks for lacking micronutrients. Awareness of food fortification was significantly associated with respondents' occupation (p < 0.001), household size (p=0.012), education levels (p < 0.001), and age (p=0.025). There is need for a wider use of broadcast media sources to modify information and education materials to promote fortification awareness among Kenyan consumers.
Highlights
Micronutrient deficiency, or “hidden hunger,” is regarded a significant contributor to the global burden of disease
Iron deficiency is at 36.1% in pregnant women and 21.8% in under 5 children. e national prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is 4.1% with the margin at risk for under 5 children being at 52.6%
The simple random sampling method was used in selecting households for interviews. e sample size was determined using the Large Country-Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LC-LQAS) method, whereby the standard sample size is 19 respondents per enumerated area [8]. e inclusion criteria for the study participants were as follows: Household head or a household member who is above 15 years of age Permanent residents-respondents that have stayed in the enumerated area for more than three months
Summary
Micronutrient deficiency, or “hidden hunger,” is regarded a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. It is estimated that over 2 billion people in the world today are micronutrient deficient vitamin A, iron, iodine, folate, and zinc [1]. More than half of the morbidity and mortality cases especially among children are as a result of zinc, iron, and vitamin A deficiencies [2]. E main forms of micronutrient deficiencies in Kenya include vitamin A, iron, folate, vitamin B12, iodine, and zinc deficiencies [2]. Iron deficiency is at 36.1% in pregnant women and 21.8% in under 5 children. E national prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is 4.1% with the margin at risk for under 5 children being at 52.6%. National folate deficiency is at 32.1% in pregnant women and 30.9% in nonpregnant women, while 22.1% of school-age children are iodine deficient
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