Acceptability of height measuring equipment of different materials among community nutrition and health workers and parents in Laguna Province, Philippines

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVES:</strong> This study aimed to determine the acceptability of four height/length boards as measuring equipment, (1) NNC wooden height board (HB), (2) Allen's stick, (3) aluminum-acrylic height board, and (4) stadiometer, from the perspective of the community nutrition and health workers (CNHWs) and mothers/caregivers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>METHODS:</strong> The study was conducted in two municipalities in the province of Laguna, Philippines. Respondents were 12 CNHWs and 22 parents/guardians of randomly selected children ages 1-5 years. Focus group discussions were also conducted among CNHWs to determine their perceptions, experiences, and feedback on the use of the equipment. Parents/guardians were interviewed about their views on the acceptability of the equipment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:</strong> In the urban area, Allen's stick was most favored by end-users, while in the rural area, the NNC wooden HB was the most acceptable. Meanwhile, guardians preferred the aluminum-acrylic HB in the rural area and Allen's stick in the urban area. It was concluded that the use of height boards to measure the height or length of children was acceptable to both CHNWs and parents. CHNWs preferred the stadiometer for height measurement and Allen's stick for length measurement. In contrast parents/guardians preferred the aluminum-acrylic HB and Allen's stick as these were deemed non-threatening, culturally acceptable, safe, comfortable for the children, and the procedures were easily understood.</p>

Prevalence and factors associated with folate deficiency among Filipino women of child-bearing age

@#Introduction: Folate deficiency is associated with many complications of pregnancy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and factors associated with deficiency in red blood cell (RBC) folate among Filipino women of child-bearing age in the Province of Batangas, Philippines. Methods: A total of 184 Filipino women aged 15 to 49 years were interviewed on their socio-economic and demographic profiles. Mean energy and folate intakes were obtained using food recalls over a three-month period. RBC folate was used to measure long-term folate status and analysed through immuno-assay method. Results: About two in ten women were folate deficient based on the normal cut-off points (<400 ng/mL) preventive of neural tube defect-affected pregnancies. Respondents have very low intake of folate at 81 and 239 micrograms dietary folate equivalent (µg DFE) from dietary sources and with folic acid supplementation, respectively. Vegetable gardening and livestock raising (p<0.10) and use of folic-acid containing supplements showed significant correlations with folate status (p<0.05). Further, regression analysis showed that among the significant factors, the non-usage of folic acid-containing supplements showed increased likelihood of RBC folate deficiency by six times compared to users (OR=6.391, p<0.10). Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest a high prevalence of folate deficiency among Filipino women. Folate is an essential nutrient for healthy pregnancy. It is important that women, capable of bearing a child must assure adequate folate intake from foods and folic-acid containing supplements. The study recommends a more aggressive campaign on the importance of folate among women of child-bearing age.

Knowledge and Use of Complementary Food Fortification with Multiple Micronutrient Powders in Selected Communities in the Philippines

Introduction: Micronutrient malnutrition among young Filipino children is attributed to inadequate food intake and improper feeding practices. To improve nutrient intake, home fortification using multiple micronutrient powders (MNPs) targeting 6 -23 monthold children became an intervention program referred to as Point of Use Complementary Food Fortification with Multiple Micronutrient Powders in Zamboanga City and the Municipality of Aurora in Region IX, Philippines. This study aimed to determine the extent of knowledge and use of complementary food with MNPs in the context of the said intervention program and implementation areas. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 120 randomly selected primary caregivers with 6 -23-month-old children in the covered program areas. A questionnaire designed to elicit knowledge and use of MNPs was developed and pre-tested before data collection. Results: Results showed that all respondents were aware of MNPs, with local health workers as the information source. Percentage of respondents with knowledge of the purpose of MNPs varied widely. Among those who did, the most well-known function was improving children’s health status. The most common practice of fortifying food with MNP involved adding it to boiled rice and vegetable dishes. Home fortification is popularly practised after cooking the food. Of the 20% respondents who claimed to observe changes in their children due to MNP, the top two positive results were children’s increased appetite and increased growth. Conclusion: Awareness of the MNP does not necessarily translate into knowledge of what the MNP is made up of or its purpose. Although home food fortification using MNP was practised by most households, this study revealed deviations from recommendations on how to properly fortify their foods using the MNPs. Based on the findings in this study, there is a need to complement awareness of the primary caregivers with knowledge on MNPs through counselling and initiating support groups among caregivers to serve as credible and first hand examples of the proper use of MNPs.

Recipe Trials to Improve Complementary Feeding: The Philippine Experience

Introduction: An effective participatory community nutrition programme to improve poor food intake and sub-optimal complementary feeding practices in the Philippines is wanting. The use of the recipe trial as an approach was explored. Methods: The protocol was conducted nine times in three communities in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Zamboanga del Sur among 83 caregivers of children 6-8, 9-11, and 12-23 months old. The protocol implemented followed these steps: (1) Preparatory activities; (2) Recipe Trial 1 (RT1); ( 3) Recipe Trial 2 (RT2); and (4) Follow-up visit. Results: The use of the modified RT to improve complementary feeding was evaluated in terms of the quality of the improved recipes and the overall feasibility of the RT technique. The RT1s identified rice porridge as complementary food usually prepared in the three areas across age groups, followed by cooked rice mixed with broth from the family pot. The RT2s facilitated the caregivers’ modification of the 12 complementary foods from the three communities. Nutrient content was improved while maintaining acceptability among caregivers and their children. The follow-up visits showed that the adoption of the recipes at the households was limited to a few caregivers. Conclusions: The modified RT protocol has good potential to help alleviate poor nutrition among infants and young children in the Philippines. Minor improvements, characterised by an increase in local adoption and provision of enabling mechanisms from the local government units should contribute to the success of its implementation.