Prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among exclusively breastfeeding women in Arba Minch Zuria District, Southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional community-based study

BACKGROUND: In developing countries, women are generally vulnerable to undernutrition especially during lactation because of inadequate nutrient intake. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of underweight, associated factors and mean dietary intake of selected nutrients among lactating women in Arba Minch Zuriya districts, Gamo Gofa, Ethiopia. METHODS: Multistage cluster sampling technique was used to select 478 exclusively breastfeeding women. Data was collected by using structured questionnaire, and weight and height measurements. Mean intake of calories, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin A was assessed by using 24-hour recall method on subsample of 73 subjects and compared against the Ethiopian and African food composition tables. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between various independent variables and maternal underweight. RESULTS: The prevalence of underweight was 17.4%. Maternal underweight significantly associated with short birth to pregnancy interval, high workload burden, household food insecurity, less access to nutrition information and low level of women educational status. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of women suffered from undernutrition and the mean intake of calories, calcium and zinc were below the recommended level for lactating women. Hence, to improve nutritional status of lactating women, strategies should focus on nutrition counseling, improvement in women's access to labour saving technologies and effective household food security interventions

Accuracy of Reporting Food Energy Intake: Influence of Ethnicity and Body Weight Status in South African Women

The current study sought to identify characteristics that may be associated with the misreporting of food energy intake (EI) in urban South African women. A total of 198 women (61 black; 76 of mixed ancestry; 61 white) completed a quantified food frequency questionnaire; from which daily energy and macronutrient intake were calculated. Body composition (body mass index [BMI]; percentage of body fat); body image (Feel-Ideal Difference index and Body Shape questions) and socio-economic status (SES) (household density and asset index) were also measured. Food EI in relation to estimated basal metabolic rate ratio that was less than 1.05 represented under-reporting; whereas a ratio greater than 2.28 represented over-reporting. Results suggested that 26of the participants under-reported; 64adequately reported and 10over-reported. Participants who under-reported had a higher BMI (p 0.01) and higher percentage of body fat (p 0.05) than those who adequately and over-reported. The majority of under-reporters were black (38) versus 21under-reporters of mixed ancestry and 20white under-reporters (p 0.01). Eighty-three per cent of black under-reporters were obese. On the other hand; a majority (63) of overweight women of mixed ancestry and a majority (50) of white normal-weight women under-reported their food EI. Under-reporters reported a lower intake of dietary fat (p 0.01) and a higher intake of dietary protein (p 0.01) than adequate or over-reporters. Food EI reporting was not influenced by SES or body image. In conclusion; results suggest that food EI reporting is influenced by body size; and may be ethnic-specific in South African women