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Objective: Determining the prevalence of dyslipidaemia and examining dietary and other contributing factors, namely hypertension, overweight and obesity, as well as abnormal blood lipid levels in women aged 18-90 years. Design: Cross-sectional baseline survey study. Setting: Peri-urban Vaal region. Subjects: Seven hundred and twenty-two randomly selected black women in four purposively selected settlements in the Vaal region. Outcome measures: Measurements included dietary intake (24-hour recall), anthropometric (weight and height), and blood pressure and biochemical indices (lipid profile) with venous blood samples. Data analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests and regression analyses. Results: A large percentage (34.3%) of the women (aged 18-90 years old) was dyslipidaemic. The majority of women in the nondyslipidaemic group were overweight (52.6%). 86.2% of the women in the dyslipidaemic group were obese. The total fat intake was 20% of total energy intake in both groups. No significant differences were observed between the dietary fat intake variables between the groups. Body mass index (BMI) (s = 0.554, p-value = 0.000), age (s = 0.419, p-value = 0.000), education (s = 0.250, p-value = 0.000), total energy intake (s = 0.105, p-value = 0.006) and total fat intake (s = 0.092, p-value = 0.018) were predictors of dyslipidaemia in these women. Conclusion: Dyslipidaemia was prevalent. High triglyceride and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were the most frequent abnormalities. Although positive associations existed between the prevalence of dyslipidaemia and the known risk factors of cardiovascular disease, such as ageing, hypertension, obesity and an abnormal lipid profile; BMI, age and education were the main predictors of dyslipidaemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to improve the dietary intake patterns and food choices of children aged 9-13 years in a periurban community. Methods: Two schools were randomly selected from within this periurban community. A nutrition education programme was implemented over one school term, with the testing of nutrition knowledge occurring pre- and post-intervention, and in the long term, with the experimental group only. A validated 24-hour recall questionnaire was completed pre- and post-intervention by both the control (n = 91) and experimental groups (n = 81), and in the long term, by the experimental group. Food models were used to assist in the estimation of portion sizes and identification of food items. The questionnaire was analysed using the computer software programme FoodFinder 3, with means and standard deviations calculated for macro- and micronutrients, and comparisons made with dietary reference intakes for specific age groups. A list was drawn up of the 20 most commonly consumed food items, based on weights consumed. Paired t-tests were conducted to assess significance in dietary intake and food choices after the intervention. Correlations between knowledge and dietary choices were determined among the experimental group in the long-term measurements. Results: Correlations linked protein intake to knowledge of proteins, and vitamin C intake to knowledge of fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetable intake remained very low. Refined sugars and fat were still consumed among the experimental group. The diet for both groups was based on carbohydrates. Conclusions: The objective of changing the dietary intake patterns of the children was not achieved. The intake of legumes, fruit and vegetables remained low. The lack of variety in intake results in a diet that does not meet the daily requirements of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper was to discuss the impact of a two-year food aid intervention programme on dietary diversity and adequacy of an elderly community. This project was undertaken amongst the elderly (n=300), voluntarily attending a day care centre in Sharpeville, South Africa. In a baseline study (2004) in this community the dietary diversity scoring (DDS) method revealed low dietary diversity (3.41) and food variety (4.77) scores (FVS), and a trend that higher scores resulted in a better mean nutrient adequacy ratio. An intervention study, implemented in 2005, aimed to improve the dietary diversity of this elderly community by providing breakfast and lunch five days a week at the care centre. The impact of this food aid was investigated by comparing the DDS, FVS and nutrient adequacy ratios (NAR) before and after the intervention. The methods included socio-demographic, health, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), 24 hour-recall (24h-recall), anthropometric and biochemical measurements in 107 elderly people who regularly attended the care centre since 2004. At baseline, the majority of respondents (n=82, 55.1%) were classified with low DDS utilizing 0–3 food groups compared to after the intervention, where 98.1% (n=105) was classified with a high dietary diversity utilizing all nine nutritious food groups. The mean individual DDS of 3.41 that improved to 8.5 after the intervention further supported this. The mean adequacy ratio (MAR) showed a statistically significant improvement from baseline (0.77±0.48) to 1.02±0.66 after the intervention, indicating improvement of the adequacy of the overall diet to meet the daily requirements for this elderly community. The results of this study represent the first demonstration that food aid proved to be an effective short term nutrition intervention that improved the level of dietary diversity. Other food-based approaches or nutrition education activities should be implemented simultaneously to improve self-sufficiency in such a community for long-term effectiveness in terms of nutrient inadequacy and dietary diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the study which investigates the prevalence of Stunted Child and Overweight Mother (SCOM) pairs in South Africa. The study which was conducted to the QuaQua region indicates the existence of linear association between waist circumference of the mother to the stunted status of her child. The study also showed that mothers with large waist circumference had more children who were stunted.

Background: The elderly are particularly prone to zinc deficiency because of nutritional and physiological vulnerabilities associated with ageing. A low socio-economic status may further increase the risk of zinc deficiency. This cross-sectional descriptive study assessed the zinc status of an elderly sample in the Vaal region, South Africa., Methods: The participants were 170 randomly selected elderly people attending a day care centre in Sharpeville. Twenty-four-hour recalls were administered for dietary intake. Weight and height were measured and venous blood samples (n = 67) were drawn to determine biochemical indices., Results: The mean age of the respondents was 71.7 years. The mean +/- SD daily dietary intake for zinc was 11.0 +/- 6.12 mg. Approximately half of the subjects (51.5%) did not reach two-thirds of the recommended dietary allowance for zinc. The mean serum zinc concentration was 61.8 +/- 8.5 microg dL(-1) (9.4 +/- 1.3 micromol L(-1)), with 76.3% of the subjects having zinc values less than the recommended values of 70 microg dL(-1) (10.7 micromol L(-1)). Maize meal was the staple in the diet of approximately half the study population. Although South African maize meal is now fortified with zinc oxide, maize also contains high concentrations of phytate, a known inhibitor of mineral bioavailability., Conclusions: The results of the present study suggested that zinc deficiency existed in these elderly people. Further research is, however, needed to elucidate possible underlying factors so that appropriate intervention can be implemented.