[Changes of the nutritional status of children and adolescents aged 7-17 years of Tujia ethnic minority in Hunan Province from 2010 to 2014].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the change of nutritional status of children and adolescents aged 7-17 years from Tujia ethnic minority in Hunan Province, and to provide evidence for the prevention and control policy making of improving the population's nutritional status. METHODS: A total of 4676 children and adolescents aged 7-17 years from Tujia ethnic minority in Hunan Province were included(2310 in year 2010, 2366 in year 2014), sample were recruited in the 2010 and 2014 Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health. The nutritional status of wasting and stunting was defined by a national malnutrition screening standard(WS/T 456-2014), overweight and obesity were defined by the body mass index percentile criteria developed by Chinese Working Group on Obesity for Children(WGOC). RESULTS: From 2010 to 2014, the obesity prevalence of Tujia children and adolescents from Hunan increased obviously from 3.1% to 5.7%, and the prevalence of wasting also increased, from 7.8% to 10.5%. The trend analysis of stunting showed that the stunting prevalence decreased significantly from 8.4% in 2010 to 3.5% in 2014. CONCLUSION: The stunting issue in Tujia children and adolescents has improved a lot from 2010 to 2014. But the prevalence of stunting is still high, and there is a dual burden of malnutrition and overnutrition.

Ethnobotany study on wild edible plants used by the Tujia ethnic group in Laifeng, southwest Hubei, China.

BACKGROUND: Wild edible plants hold a significant position in the lives of local residents, serving as a primary food source or supplement. Laifeng County, located in the hinterland of the central mountainous area of China, boasts abundant wild edible plant resources. The Tujia people, residing here for generations, have accumulated a wealth of traditional knowledge in the long-term practice of utilizing wild edible plants. The aim of this study is to document and organize the traditional utilization of wild edible plants by the Tujia ethnic group in Laifeng. METHODS: An ethnobotanical investigation, comprising semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and participatory observations, was conducted in 26 traditional villages in Laifeng County from May 2023 to June 2024. A total of 252 informants were interviewed, from whom information about wild edible plants, including edible parts, food categories, consumption modes, and multiple uses was collected. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) and the cultural food significance index (CFSI) were calculated to identify the cultural importance of wild edible plants. RESULTS: A total of 163 species of wild edible plants consumed by the Tujia people in Laifeng, belonging to 64 families and 118 genera and related traditional knowledge were collected, including vegetables (78), fruits (52), wine-soaking plants (12), spices (11), food substitutes (9), tea substitutes (6), nuts (5), coagulants (2), and oil (1). The most frequently used families were Rosaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae, with 23, 10, and 10 species, respectively. The most commonly utilized plant parts were fruits, leaves, and stems. RFC and CFSI analyses identified 14 species of wild edible plants with high cultural importance in the local diet, such as Allium macrostemon, Houttuynia cordata, and Hovenia acerba. CONCLUSIONS: The Tujia ethnic group in Laifeng demonstrates extensive knowledge in their traditional usage of wild edible plants, offering unique and robust insights into the harvesting, processing, and consumption of these resources. Over time, this practice has become an integral part of the local food culture. These findings contribute to the preservation of the Tujia culture of wild edible plants in Laifeng and the conservation and development of wild edible plant resources.