A decade of nutrition research in Africa: assessment of the evidence base and academic collaboration.

OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition in Africa has not improved compared with other regions in the world. Investment in the build-up of a strong African research workforce is essential to provide contextual solutions to the nutritional problems of Africa. To orientate this process, we reviewed nutrition research carried out in Africa and published during the last decade. DESIGN: We assessed nutrition research from Africa published between 2000 and 2010 from MEDLINE and EMBASE and analysed the study design and type of intervention for studies indexed with major MeSH terms for vitamin A deficiency, protein-energy malnutrition, obesity, breast-feeding, nutritional status and food security. Affiliations of first authors were visualised as a network and power of affiliations was assessed using centrality metrics. SETTING: Africa. SUBJECTS: Africans, all age groups. RESULTS: Most research on the topics was conducted in Southern (36%) and Western Africa (34%). The intervention studies (9%; n 95) mainly tested technological and curative approaches to the nutritional problems. Only for papers on protein-energy malnutrition and obesity did lead authorship from Africa exceed that from non-African affiliations. The 10% most powerfully connected affiliations were situated mainly outside Africa for publications on vitamin A deficiency, breast-feeding, nutritional status and food security. CONCLUSIONS: The development of the evidence base for nutrition research in Africa is focused on treatment and the potential for cross-African networks to publish nutrition research from Africa remains grossly underutilised. Efforts to build capacity for effective nutrition action in Africa will require forging a true academic partnership between African and non-African research institutions.

Food safety is a key determinant of fruit and vegetable consumption in urban Beninese adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption in urban Beninese adolescents and elements to develop a school-based fruit and vegetable program. DESIGN: Sixteen focus groups conducted with a key word guide. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two private and 2 public secondary schools in Cotonou, Benin. One hundred fifty-three students aged 13 to 19 years, 54% girls. ANALYSIS: The focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. Three a priori categories from the Social Cognitive Theory were used for the coding: socioenvironmental, personal, and behavioral factors. Additionally, the data were checked to determine whether new categories should be created. RESULTS: Major determinants in the school were availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and the competition of unhealthful foods. Food safety emerged as a strong barrier to the adolescents' fruit and vegetable consumption outside home and particularly at school. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Except for food safety, the determinants of fruit and vegetable intake in Beninese adolescents were similar to those in high-income countries. The food safety of fruits and vegetables outside home is a key issue to be studied in detail and integrated in any intervention in Benin and potentially other low- and middle-income countries.

Factors associated with eating out of home in Vietnamese adolescents.

Eating out of home (OH) is nutritionally important in some developing countries. This study identifies the factors associated with eating OH in Vietnamese adolescents. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional cluster survey of 502 adolescents in rural and urban areas in Vietnam. Factors associated with eating OH were recorded with a Likert scale and analysed using factor analysis. Data on eating OH was collected using a frequency questionnaire and a 1-day 24h recall. A first pattern "Convenience" incorporated preparation time, price, variety, taste, proximity and social aspects as items associated with eating OH. A second pattern "Nutritional and food safety concerned" reflected concerns with regard to hygiene, fat and salt content of the food prepared OH. Adolescents characterised by the convenience pattern were more likely (OR=1.51, P<0.001) to eat OH more frequently. The highest tertile of the Nutritional and food safety concerned pattern was less likely (OR=0.61, P=0.03) to eat OH compared to lower tertiles. Both patterns were not associated with the % energy from eating OH per day. Convenience and to a lesser extent Nutritional and food safety concerns are significant factors associated with the frequency of eating OH in Vietnamese adolescents.