Stunting and zinc deficiency among 3-5 years old Kankana-ey children in Kibungan, Benguet, Philippines

@#Introduction: There is a dearth of public health and nutrition information available pertaining to the indigenous groups in the Philippines. Hence, this study described the prevalences of stunting and zinc deficiency, as well as factors associated with zinc status of 3-5 years old children among the Kankana-ey people, an indigenous group living in Kibungan, Benguet, Philippines. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used in the conduct of the study where 63 study participants were randomly selected from a chronological list of names of eligible Kankana-ey children by drawing lots. The mothers/primary caregivers of these children were interviewed to collect their socio-economic and demographic data, and dietary intake was assessed through three non-consecutive days 24-hour food recall. Height and weight of the children were also measured to determine their nutritional status. Lastly, blood samples were collected to determine the zinc status of the children based on serum zinc concentration, analysed through atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: Results showed that 54.0% and 50.8% of the Kankana-ey children had stunting and zinc deficiency, respectively. There was significant positive association between being exclusively breastfed and current zinc status (p=0.001). On the other hand, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between zinc intake and zinc serum concentration (r=-0.291, p=0.021). Conclusion: Undernutrition among Kankana-ey children is a major public health concern in Kibungan, Benguet. Preventive actions must be taken to alleviate the severity of both stunting and zinc deficiency, and to mitigate possible consequences by strengthening the current nutrition and health programmes for indigenous groups, especially among young children.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of adults on cholesterol management in CALABARZON region

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES@#High levels of total cholesterol, according to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, are among the top significant contributing factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The awareness of cholesterol at the community level is critical in potential prevention and preparedness. This paper aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of adults on cholesterol management to determine their risk to CVD.@*METHODS@#The study targeted employed populations (20 to 55 years old) who were undiagnosed with hyper- cholesterolemia and other severe chronic diseases. The participants were categorized based on their work mobility: (a) sedentary; and (b) active. KAP scores were predefined as high, moderate, low, and very low risk.@*RESULTS@#Results showed that 52% of the participants had excellent overall knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores, thus had the lowest risk of developing hypercholesterolemia. However, 28% resulted in having the highest risk among the population.@*CONCLUSION@#The results of this study showed the level of good KAP among employed adults to be relatively high. Despite the gaps in KAP measurement, respondents showed interest in cholesterol-lowering interventions. Further studies are therefore necessary to fill the findings with a more concrete resolution.