Browsing by Author "Mwanri, Akwilina W."

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Food vending marketing and promotion strategies in school environments in Tanzania
(The sub Saharan Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2023-12-26) Muhomba, Elina S.; Msollo, Safiness S.; Mwanri, Akwilina W.
Marketing and consumption of ultra-processed foods have increased across countries in Africa and it is associated with the risk of childhood obesity. The current school food environment has been reported to contribute to the increase in obesity rates worldwide; hence a need for increasing attention to the roles of the school environment in changing children’s dietary behaviour. This study assessed marketing and promotion strategies for foods sold around the school environments in Tanzania. A cross-sectional study involved 335 parent/caregiver-child pairs from rural and urban settings of Morogoro region. A stratified sampling technique was used to acquire a sample of children from registered primary schools. The schools were stratified into districts based on location and sampled separately through a probability sampling technique whereby, the population of school children in each school was divided into strata based on school ownership and area of residence. A total of eight schools were sampled with an equal number of private and public schools in each of the locations. Data on food marketing and promotion strategies were collected from 32 food vendors while information on food availability and factors influencing purchasing behavior were obtained from the children through structured questions. An observation checklist was used to collect additional information on food availability and marketing and promotion strategies for foods sold around the school environment. Data was analyzed using IBM -SPSS) version 21 software. Chi-square was used to test the difference between foods available in rural and urban school environments. The findings revealed that 60% of foods were processed in rural compared to urban areas (40%). More ultra-processed foods such as carbonated soft drinks, candies and ice lollies were identified in the urban (60.8%) than in rural-based schools (39.2%). The most purchased foods around schools were potato balls (49.4%), ice cream (47.5%), corn snacks (chama) (46.2%), chocolates (43.9%), carbonated soft drinks (37.3%), candies (36.6%) and sweet ice-lollies (34.4%). The most common marketing and promotion strategies around schools were posters, price reduction and packaging. Feeling hungry, food price, environment and social pressure were the factors contributing to food purchasing behaviour for foods sold around schools. Most of the foods consumed around the schools were ultra-processed and multiple marketing and promotion methods were used. The government through the Ministry of Education should regulate the types of foods sold in schools and plan for healthier school meals for all students by strengthening the school feeding program.
Gestational diabetes mellitus in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and metaregression on prevalence and risk factors
(Wiley, 2015-08) Mwanri, Akwilina W.; Kinabo, Joyce; Ramaiya, Kaushik; Feskens, Edith J. M.
objective We systematically reviewed publications on prevalence and risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the 47 countries of sub-Saharan Africa. methods We conducted a systematic search in PUBMED and reviewed articles published until June 2014 and searched the references of retrieved articles. We explored sources of heterogeneity among prevalence proportions with metaregression analysis. results Of 1069 articles retrieved 22 studies were included. Half were from West Africa, specifically Nigeria, five from South Africa and six from East and Central Africa. There were differences in screening methods and diagnosis criteria used, even between studies carried out in the same country and same time period. Metaregression analysis indicated high heterogeneity among the studies (I 2 = 100, P < 0.001), which could not be sufficiently explained by study setting, population, diagnostic criteria or time trend, although we observed a relatively higher prevalence in studies carried out after 2000 (5.1% vs. 3.2%), when women at risk were selected (6.5% vs. 3.8%) and when more current diagnostic criteria were used (5.1% vs. 4.2%). Associations with risk factors were reported in six studies. Significant risk factors reported in more than one study were overweight and/ or obesity, family history for type 2 diabetes, previous stillbirth, previous macrosomic child and age >30 years. conclusions There are few studies on prevalence and risk factors for GDM in Sub-Saharan Africa and heterogeneity is high. Prevalence was up to about 14% when high-risk women were studied. Preventive actions should be taken to reduce the short- and long-term complications related to GDM in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prevalence and determinants of undernutrition among 6- to 59-months-old children in lowland and highland areas in Kilosa district, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study
(Hindawi, 2021) Mrema, Jackline D.; Elisaria, Ester; Mwanri, Akwilina W.; Nyaruhucha, Cornelio M.
Background. Undernutrition is the most dominant form of malnutrition among children in developing countries. Studies conducted in Tanzania have reported high levels of undernutrition among children below five years of age. However, there is limited information on differences in stunting prevalence across agroecological zones. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of undernutrition and its determinants in the lowland and highland areas in Kilosa District, Tanzania. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 200 randomly selected households from the lowland and 141 from the highland areas of Kilosa District in Morogoro Region, Tanzania. Sociodemographic, feeding practices, hygiene, and sanitation data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Weight and height of children were measured using a standard procedure, and age was calculated from the birth date obtained from the child growth card. Anthropometric data were analyzed by using Emergency Nutrition Assessment (ENA) software. The logistic regression model was used to explore the determinants of undernutrition. Results. Prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting was 41.0%, 11.5%, and 2.5% in lowland and 64.5%, 22.0%, and 1.4% in highland areas, respectively. The prevalence of stunting and underweight was higher in the highland compared to the lowland areas (p < 0.001). Significant determinants of underweight were areas of residence (AOR 4.21, 95% CI: 1.62–10.9), age of the children (AOR 5.85, 95% CI: 1.81–18.97), and child birth weight (AOR, 4.98 95% CI: 1.65–15.05), while determinants of stunting were the area of residence (AOR, 2.77 95% CI: 1.43–5.36), maternal age (AOR, 0.33 95% CI: 0.14–0.79), sex of a child (AOR, 1.89 95% CI: 1.03–3.50), and child birth weight (AOR, 3.29 95% CI: 1.21–8.97). Conclusion. The prevalence of undernutrition, es- pecially stunting and underweight, was high in the study areas. Determinants of stunting differed between highlands and lowland areas, highlighting the needs of having properly integrated interventions based on the geographical location.