Is food insecurity a problem among the elderly in Sharpeville, South Africa?

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of food and nutrition insecurity and assess the socio-demographic factors associated with food and nutrition insecurity among 146 free-living elderly persons attending a care centre in Sharpeville, South Africa. Measurement instruments included socio-demographic-, 24-hour-recall and dietary diversity questionnaires and the validated household food insecurity access scale/score (HFIAS). Data were analysed with IBM SPSS Software, version 25.0. The prevalence of food insecurity from HFIAS was 60% (n = 87), with a variety of balanced responses being employed. Significant relationships were observed between HFIAS and age (r = 0.301; p = 0.000) and with household income (r = -0.258; p = 0.007). An association was observed between HFIAS and marital status (p = 0.005). Regression analysis showed that age and being single were predictors of food and nutrition insecurity. This study indicated a problem of household food insecurity with poor dietary intakes among these elderly people, mostly due to poverty and being single. More research on associations between food security and socio-economic variables is needed to plan and implement appropriate strategies to address food and nutrition insecurity in South Africa.

Is obesity associated with iron status in the elderly? A case study from Sharpeville, South Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between poor Fe status and overweight or obesity in elderly respondents in South Africa. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, observational baseline survey. SETTING: Sharpeville, South Africa. SUBJECTS: A sample size calculation determined a representative sample of 104 randomly selected elderly (≥60 years) respondents. Measurements included weight, height, biochemical and haematological parameters. Measured BMI was used to categorise the respondents into normal weight, overweight and obese groups. RESULTS: The majority of the women were overweight (28·4%) or obese (54·6%); 58% of the respondents had normal Fe status, 15% were classified as Fe depleted, 9% as Fe deficient and 13% as Fe-deficient anaemic. Ten per cent of the respondents had low Hb levels with no other low Fe status parameters, and were thus anaemic due to other causes. A significant correlation (r = 0·318, P < 0·001) existed between BMI and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). hs-CRP was negatively correlated to serum Fe levels (r = -0·319, P < 0·001). No significant relationships existed between BMI and Fe status parameters. CONCLUSIONS: A coexistence of obesity and poor Fe status were observed in these elderly respondents. The positive relationship between hs-CRP and BMI indicated chronic inflammation in the higher BMI groups. The negative relationship between hs-CRP and serum Fe indicated that lower serum Fe levels were related to the inflammation linked with higher BMI. A relationship between obesity-related chronic, low-grade inflammation and poor Fe status has been found in adults, but the significance of the current study is that this relationship was also confirmed for elderly persons.

Socio-Economic Variables and Nutrient Adequacy of Women in the Vaal Region of South Africa.

The aim of this cross-sectional, observational baseline survey was to examine the association between nutrient intakes and selected socio-economic variables in 722 women, aged 19 to 90 years living in peri-urban settlements. Measurements included socio-demographic data and 24-hour recall dietary intake data. The results showed poor nutrient intakes with the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) not met for the mean intakes of all nutrients except carbohydrates, phosphorus, and vitamin B12. The inadequate energy intakes were significantly higher among the women who had lower education (p = .015), lower income (p = .028), and were unemployed (p = .015). The epidemiological value of the study findings is in the contribution to the rationale of appropriate interventions such as income-generating projects as well as household agricultural projects to improve food and nutrient intakes.

Breakfast, midday meals and academic achievement in rural primary schools in Uganda: implications for education and school health policy.

BACKGROUND: Underachievement in schools is a global problem and is especially prevalent in developing countries. Indicators of educational performance show that Uganda has done remarkably well on education access-related targets since the introduction of universal primary education in 1997. However, educational outcomes remain disappointing. The absence of school feeding schemes, one of the leading causes of scholastic underachievement, has not been given attention by the Ugandan authorities. Instead, as a national policy, parents are expected to provide meals even though many, especially in the rural areas, cannot afford to provide even the minimal daily bowl of maize porridge. OBJECTIVE: To assess and demonstrate the effect of breakfast and midday meal consumption on academic achievement of schoolchildren. DESIGN, MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed household characteristics, feeding patterns and academic achievement of 645 schoolchildren (aged 9-15 years) in Kumi district, eastern Uganda, in 2006-2007, using a modified cluster sampling design which involved only grade 1 schools (34 in total) and pupils of grade four. Household questionnaires and school records were used to collect information on socio-demographic factors, feeding patterns and school attendance. Academic achievement was assessed using unstandardized techniques, specifically designed for this study. RESULTS: Underachievement (the proportion below a score of 120.0 points) was high (68.4%); in addition, significantly higher achievement and better feeding patterns were observed among children from the less poor households (p<0.05). Achievement was significantly associated with consumption of breakfast and a midday meal, particularly for boys (p<0.05), and a greater likelihood of scoring well was observed for better nourished children (all OR values>1.0). CONCLUSION: We observed that underachievement was relatively high; inadequate patterns of meal consumption, particularly for the most poor, significantly higher scores among children from 'less poor' households and a significant association between academic achievement and breakfast and midday meal consumption.