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Nutritional status and nutrient intake of preschool children in northern Ghana
1Nutrition Unit, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Insights
Preschool children in sub-Sahelian Ghana exhibit poor nutritional status, with high rates of stunting, wasting, and anemia. Low intake of essential nutrients, including vitamin A and calcium, contributes to these deficiencies, impacting child health.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Nutritional Epidemiology
Background:
- Sub-Sahelian regions face significant challenges in child nutrition.
- Preschoolers are particularly vulnerable to nutrient deficiencies.
- Understanding nutritional status is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the nutritional status and nutrient intake of preschool children in a rural sub-Sahelian setting.
- To compare nutrient intake against Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) values.
- To identify factors contributing to poor nutritional outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, investigative study involving 518 preschool children (2.5-6 years) in Saboba, northern Ghana.
- Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, age) were taken.
- Blood and stool samples were analyzed for nutritional status and parasitic infections.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of malnutrition: 27% stunted, 4.4% wasted.
- Widespread anemia (92%) and vitamin A deficiency (16.3%).
- Low caloric intake (26.5% met RDA); inadequate intake of calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and provitamin A.
Conclusions:
- Poor nutritional status is linked to insufficient intake of essential nutrients.
- High anemia rates are multifactorial, including malaria, hookworm, low vitamin C, and poor iron bioavailability.
- Urgent nutritional interventions are needed for this vulnerable population.
Objective:
To determine the nutritional status and nutrient intake of preschool children in a sub-Sahelian setting so as to ascertain whether they meet the acceptable standards.
Design:
Prospective/investigative study.
Setting:
The study was carried out in Saboba, a rural sub-Sahelian village in northern Ghana.
Subjects:
Five hundred and eighteen preschool children (2.5-6 years) drawn from three kindergartens and five other localities were used.
Intervention:
Anthropometric measures of age, weight, and height were assessed. Blood and stool samples were taken for analyses.
Results:
The nutritional status was generally poor, with 27% (140/519) stunted, 4.4% (23/519) wasted and 1.9% (10/519) wasted and stunted. Majority of the children (92%) were anaemic and 16.3% had deficient level of vitamin A (< 10 micrograms/dL). Total caloric intake was low (only 26.5% met RDA values) and apart from protein and iron whose RDA were met by the majority of the children (> 90%), the intake of other nutrients-calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A and provitamin A, were low and unacceptable, compared to their respective RDA values. In the case of iron, even though intake was adequate, the high anaemic rate of 92% was due to high incidence of malaria (32%), hookworm infestation, low intake of vitamin C and low bioavailability of iron from the mainly cereal diet.
Conclusion:
The poor nutritional status of the children was largely due to the low intake of essential nutrients.
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