Abstract:
This study was conducted to assess household dietary diversity and nutritional status of children and women in Madizini township and its surrounding 3 hinterland villages of Manyinga, Lungo and Mhonda. A total of 160 women with their children between 12-59 months old were randomly sampled from village registers. Data were collected by using a structured questionnaire. A 24-hours recall on household dietary intake was conducted from which dietary diversity score (DDS) was calculated using the FAO-Protocol. Heights and weights measurements of the sampled children and their respective mothers were taken where-by data were analyzed by using the Anthro 2005 and SPSS software to obtain nutritional status. Mean DDS showed that Lungo village had the lowest level (2.33±0.09) compared to the Manyinga (2.65±0.08) and Mhonda (2.72±0.07) villages as well as Madizini township (2.61±0.06). The most commonly consumed food groups in hinterland villages and Madizini township were cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, vitamin A rich vegetables, other vegetables, legumes, oils and fats. The least consumed foods included eggs, fish, flesh meat, organ meat, milk and milk products, other fruits and vitamin A rich fruits. Most of the householdsin Lungo and Manyinga villages (hinterland)and Madizini township depends on market for procuring most of the food items for family consumption while own production dominated the households in Mhonda village. Mean BMI values of women in the hinterland villages (Manyinga22.10±0.63, Lungo 22.37±0.53 and Mhonda 22.7±0.56) were significantly lower than those of Madizini township (mean BMI = 26.41) at p<0.05. It is not surprising therefore that overweight and obesity rates were higher in Madizini township than in the hinterland villages. Stunting, underweight and wasting were higher among children in the hinterland villages (35%, 11% and 11% respectively) compared to only (28.4%, 8.4% and 9.8% respectively) in Madizini township.
