Determining the nutritional status of children from agri-business families in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
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Date
2018-06
Authors
Sonandi, Awonke
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Since the dawn of the new democratic South Africa in 1994, the subject of food, and food
security, thereof, has received serious attention, especially among previously
disadvantaged groups. Farming communities from these previously disadvantaged
groups have continuously received support from the government and other roleplaying
organisations in agricultural development in order to strengthen their capacity to produce
food for their communities and for the nation at large. However, very little or virtually
nothing is known of the state of nutrition (in)security or nutritional status of many of these
farming communities, particularly those that are involved in agri-business ventures.
Instead, these communities are presumed nutrition secure or having elevated nutritional
status by virtue of being food producers.
In view of the information gap outlined above, the purpose of this study was to investigate
the current state of nutrition security / nutritional status among children from agri-business
families. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to, namely; establish baseline data
for nutrition security / nutritional status of children from agri-business families, establish
the extent to which children from agri-business families are nutrition secure, using a
multiple of scientifically proven research methods of measuring nutrition security, identify
and understand short-comings to achieving nutrition security or good nutritional status
among children from agri-business families, and draw recommendations based on the
findings of the study.
This study’s research population was agri-business families who operated and resided in
Umzimvubu and Ntabankulu Local Municipalities of Alfred Nzo District Municipality in the
Eastern Cape Province. Precisely, the target group was previously disadvantaged agribusiness
owners / managers whose individual or collective annual turnover was between
R150 000 and R4 000 000. Such agri-businesses are statutorily classified as very small
or small or medium agricultural enterprises. After the objective and scientific selection
process, a purposeful research sample of 124 agri-businesses that were operated by 263
agri-business owners / managers was achieved. The agri-business owners / managers
were from 263 households. Each of the 263 agri-business households were represented
by a caregiver, to whom questions that relate to nutritional knowledge, attitudes and
feeding and general care of children were directed. A total of 327 children aged 5-14
years from the agri-business households participated in this study. Collection of data
from the abovementioned respondents was carried out in a theoretical, methodological
and analytical manner. This involved use of mixed research methods that included; a
socio-economic questionnaire, and other questionnaires on nutritional knowledge and
attitudes, nutritional practices, anthropometric measurements, and 24h dietary recall
method, and a food frequency questionnaire.
The outcomes of parametric and non-parametric statistical analyses, and content
analysis, showed that the caregivers had fairly good nutritional knowledge on a wide
range of issues. However, their children enjoyed rather modest nutritional practices that
were often characterised with intake of low quantities of foods, deprivation of breakfast
and some meals, high consumption of carbohydrates-rich foods, and low consumption of
fruits and vegetables. Food variety and dietary diversity scores which are indicative of
nutritional status were low and conservatively high, respectively.
The above scores and feeding patterns in general, influenced the intake of 24 nutrients
under investigation. When compared with their dietary reference intake (DRI) values, the
intake of these nutrients varied from low to high, with nutrients such as iodine and dietary
fibre, and carbohydrates and vitamin A, reported at low and high intake levels,
respectively. Most of the children had good nutritional status, in as far as their
anthropometric dimensions are concerned. However, the creeping problem of overweight
/ obesity was concerning, while stunting and wasting were at low levels.
The causes of nutrition insecurity / low nutritional status among the children from agribusiness
families were identified. Among these causes, the key ones which were
hypothesised and subsequently tested were; low farm and non-farm income, low
expenditure on food, and low educational status of caregivers. Based on the above
findings, conclusions were drawn, the most important being that quantities and varieties
of food items produced or financially accessed by agri-business families were not
sufficient to yield high food variety scores and unequivocally high dietary diversity scores
which would be indicative of high nutrition security / nutritional status for their children. A
similar conclusion held true with respect to the low intake of some nutrients against their
dietary reference intake.
Also drawn from this study’s findings were recommendations, the emphasis being on
nutrition education, and an integrated and systematic approach to addressing food and
nutrition insecurity among agri-business families.
This nutrition-sensitive food security study which was targeted at families of owners /
managers of very small, small and medium agricultural enterprises is the first of its kind
to be conducted in South Africa. To this end, this study brought ground breaking
contributions, thereby adding value to the general paucity of literature of the concept of
food and nutrition security. It also made similar contributions in the policy and
professional spheres of this contemporary concept.
Description
Keywords
Nutritional status, Farming communities, Agri-business families, Umzimvubu, Alfred Nzo District Municipality, Agri-business owners, Thesis (Ph.D. (Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development))--University of the Free State, 2018