Maternal nutritional status may be stressed by seasonal fluctuations in food availability: evidence from rural women in Kenya.
Kigutha, H. N.; Staveren, W. A. van; Wijnhoven, T. M. A.; Hautvast, J. G. A. J.;
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition Year: 1995 Vol: 46 Issue: 3 Pages: 247-255 Ref: 30 ref.
1995
บทคัดย่อ
The effect of seasonal changes in household food availability on the dietary intakes and nutritional status of 24 lactating women from smallholder rural households in Nakura district, Kenya, were investigated over a 15-month period in 1992/93 agricultural cycle. Dietary intakes and body weights were estimated on a monthly basis. Significant seasonal differences were found in intakes of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin and niacin respectively (P<0.01), as well as in the intake of protein, iron, and thiamin (P<0.05), but not with energy and fat intake. Large interseasonal weight losses of 5.6 kg (about 9%) at the rate of 1.1 kg/month, were observed between baseline estimations and the peak of the lean months when energy intakes were 36.7 kcal/kg daily and protein 1.1 g/kg daily. About 50% of the lost weight (2.8 kg) were recovered during the harvest months of January and February, when energy intakes improved to 41.0 kcal/kg daily, and protein to 1.2 g/kg daily. However, further weight lo
sses of 1.6 or 0.5 kg/month occurred in the immediate postharvest months between March and June. While much of the weight loss may have been due to reduced energy intake periods of food scarcity, part of the lost weight may have been due to increased energy requirement as a result of lactation and to increased physical activities.