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Evaluation of Nutritional Status among Primary School Children in Uganda: Comparison of Urban and Rural Areas
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Research Article
Evaluation of Nutritional Status among Primary School Children in Uganda: Comparison of Urban and Rural Areas
Ji-Yeon Lee, Hye-Jung Park, Min Yu, Ha-Yeong Hwang, Jung-Rim Sung, Hee-Seon Kim
Korean Journal of Community Nutrition 2020;25(2):91-101.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2020.25.2.91
Published online: April 30, 2020
1Graduate School of Food Science and Nutrition, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea, PhD candidate
2Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea, Student
3Seoul Gangil Elementary, Seoul, Korea, Nutrition teacher
4Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea, Professor
Corresponding author:  Hee-Seon Kim,
Email: hskim1@sch.ac.kr
Received: 10 January 2020   • Revised: 23 March 2020   • Accepted: 24 March 2020
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Abstract

Objectives
The aim of this study was to investigate dietary intakes and nutritional status among Uganda primary school children from two selected schools in urban and rural areas.
Methods
Data were collected from 350 pupils (6-14 years) in Mpigi district, Uganda. All participants were offered a school lunch meal (usually maize porridge and boiled beans). Dietary survey was conducted in October 2016. Data for dietary intake levels were collected by the 24-hour recall method with trained school staffs. The data were converted into nutrient intakes using the CAN-Pro 5.0 Program and compared with KDRIs to evaluate the nutritional status of the subjects. Diet quality indexes such as nutrient density, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and index of nutritional quality (INQ) and a diet diversity index such as diet diversity score (DDS) were calculated to evaluate nutritional status among subjects. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical programs.
Results
Results show that the intakes of most nutrients were significantly different by schools. The nutritional status of micro-nutrients was very low in both schools according to analysis of nutritional indexes such as NARs and INQs. Students from both schools should improve intakes of micro-nutrients related to child growth such as calcium, Vitamin B6, zinc and folate. According to the analysis of dietary diversity, there was difference in dietary patterns by schools presumably due to their locations.
Conclusions
This suggests that current meals could not provide adequate nutrients for the subjects and urgent nutrition interventions for school food services are needed to improve their nutritional well-being. New foods supplements based on local cuisine are also needed to ensure dietary diversity and sustainable development plans.


Korean J Community Nutr. 2020 Apr;25(2):91-101. Korean.
Published online Apr 30, 2020.
https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2020.25.2.91
Copyright © 2020 The Korean Society of Community Nutrition
Original Article

Evaluation of Nutritional Status among Primary School Children in Uganda: Comparison of Urban and Rural Areas

Ji-Yeon Lee,1 Hye-Jung Park,2 Min Yu,2 Ha-Yeong Hwang,2 Jung-Rim Sung,3 and Hee-Seon Kim4
    • 1Graduate School of Food Science and Nutrition, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea, PhD candidate.
    • 2Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea, Student.
    • 3Seoul Gangil Elementary, Seoul, Korea, Nutrition teacher.
    • 4Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, Korea, Professor.
  • Corresponding author: Hee-Seon Kim. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Soonchunhyang University, 22 Soonchunhyang-ro, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, 31538 Korea. Tel: (041) 530-1263, Fax (041) 530-1257, Email: hskim1@sch.ac.kr
Received January 10, 2020; Revised March 23, 2020; Accepted March 24, 2020.

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate dietary intakes and nutritional status among Uganda primary school children from two selected schools in urban and rural areas.

Methods

Data were collected from 350 pupils (6–14 years) in Mpigi district, Uganda. All participants were offered a school lunch meal (usually maize porridge and boiled beans). Dietary survey was conducted in October 2016. Data for dietary intake levels were collected by the 24-hour recall method with trained school staffs. The data were converted into nutrient intakes using the CAN-Pro 5.0 Program and compared with KDRIs to evaluate the nutritional status of the subjects. Diet quality indexes such as nutrient density, nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and index of nutritional quality (INQ) and a diet diversity index such as diet diversity score (DDS) were calculated to evaluate nutritional status among subjects. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical programs.

Results

Results show that the intakes of most nutrients were significantly different by schools. The nutritional status of micro-nutrients was very low in both schools according to analysis of nutritional indexes such as NARs and INQs. Students from both schools should improve intakes of micro-nutrients related to child growth such as calcium, Vitamin B6, zinc and folate. According to the analysis of dietary diversity, there was difference in dietary patterns by schools presumably due to their locations.

Conclusions

This suggests that current meals could not provide adequate nutrients for the subjects and urgent nutrition interventions for school food services are needed to improve their nutritional well-being. New foods supplements based on local cuisine are also needed to ensure dietary diversity and sustainable development plans.

Keywords
dietary assessment; nutritional status; Official Development Assistance; Uganda; primary school children

Figures

Fig. 1
Index of Nutritional Quality by schools
ANCOVA adjusted for age, sex, BMI and energy intakes (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001)

Fig. 2
Food intakes from each food group by schools
ANCOVA adjusted for age, sex, BMI and energy intakes (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001)

Total Food intake (Mean ± SE): 2,075.12 ± 58.08 g for Bujjo school and 2,274.34 ± 44.50 g for Lwaweeba school

Tables

Table 1
Frequency distributions of socio-demographic variables among the subjects

Table 2
Clinical measurements of the subjects by schools

Table 3
Daily intakes of energy and nutrients by schools

Table 4
Nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and mean adequacy ratio (MAR) of the subjects by schools

Table 5
Nutrition density per 1,000 kcal of the subjects by schools

Table 6
Dietary diversity score (DDS) of the subjects by schools

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the Soonchunhyang University Research Fund.

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