Sensory panel results of a dried fish powder supplement among caregivers and young children in Zambia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acceptability of traditional Zambian dishes fortified with Complementary Food for Africa+Dried Fish Powder (ComFA+Fish), a locally sourced protein/micronutrient blend designed to impact nutrient deficiencies among infants and young children (IYC) and improve pregnancy and birth outcomes among women of reproductive age (WRA). DESIGN: During two sensory panels, caregivers evaluated: (1) the acceptability of four ComFA+Fish dishes for household consumption, including fortified chibwabwa fisashi, savory Kapenta chutney, fortified complementary maize porridge and fortified bean-vegetable soup and (2) whether their IYC found the fortified complementary maize porridge acceptable. SETTING: Lake Kariba, Southern Province, Zambia. PARTICIPANTS: Women of reproductive age (n 42) and their IYC aged 6-11 months (n 16) and 12-23 months (n 26) were recruited from fishing villages in Gwembe, Siavonga and Sinazongwe District. RESULTS: A majority of caregivers extremely liked/liked the: (1) fortified chibwabwa fisashi's sensory attributes (94·7 %), convenience (92·8 %) and overall acceptability (100 %); (2) savory Kapenta chutney's sensory attributes (81·8 %), convenience (92·8 %) and overall acceptability (100 %); (3) fortified complementary porridge's sensory attributes (83·5 %), convenience (90·5 %) and overall acceptability (88·1 %) and (4) fortified bean-vegetable soup's sensory attributes (66·8 %), convenience (87·5 %) and overall acceptability (87·5 %). Further, a majority of caregivers evaluated the fortified complementary porridge as highly acceptable to their IYC. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that ComFA+Fish is strategically well placed to fill nutritional gaps among IYC and WRA in Zambia and has the potential to be scaled across sub-Saharan Africa.

Enhancing household soybean processing and utilization in the Eastern Province of Zambia, a concurrent triangulation study design.

The purpose of this study was to establish best ways of improving household soybean processing and utilization in selected districts in the Eastern Province of Zambia. This was a concurrent triangulation study design, nested with a cross sectional survey and barrier analysis. Up to 1,237 households and 42 key informants participated in the quantitative and qualitative studies respectively. Quantitative data was analysed using Stata MP 15 software (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA). NVIVO QSR10 software (QSRInt, Melbourne Australia) was used to organize qualitative data which was later analysed thematically. In this study whole soybean processing and utilization in eastern province was at 48%. However, accessibility to soybean for household consumption throughout the year was negligible (0.29%). Based on the food systems an interplay of factors influenced soybean processing and utilization. In the food environment, a ready-made Textured Soya Protein mainly imported [1,030/1237(83%)] and a milled whole soybean-maize blend AOR 816.37; 95%CI 110.83 to 6013.31 were preferred. Reports of labour intensity, hard to cook properties, coarse milling and beany flavour with associated anti-nutrients negatively influenced whole soybean utilization. In the enabling environment, soybean production AOR 4.47; 95%CI 2.82 to 7.08 increased the chances of utilization. Lack of inputs, poor access to affordable credit and lack of ingredients were deleterious to utilization. Low coverage of existing projects and poor access to technologies were other adverse factors. Among the Socioeconomic factors, a higher social hierarchy shown by owning a bed AOR 1.75; 95%CI 1.22 to 2.49, belonging to the Chewa community AOR 1.16; 95%CI 1.08 to 0 1.25, gender of household head particularly male AOR 1.94; 95%CI 1.21 to 3.13, off farm income and livestock ownership were supportive to soybean utilization. Unfavourable factors were; belonging to any of the districts under study AOR 0.76; 95%CI 0.58 to 0.98, lack of knowledge (55.65%), low involvement of the male folks AOR 0.47; 95%CI 0.30 to 0.73 and belonging to a female headed household AOR 1.94; 95%CI 1.21 to 3.13. Age, time and household size constraints as well as unreliable soybean output markets, lack of land, poor soils in some wards and poor soybean value chain governance were other negative factors. Immediately in the food environment there is need to boost milling of whole soybean while strengthening cooking demonstrations, correct processing, incorporation of soybean in the local dishes and conducting acceptability tests. In the enabling environment, there should be access to inputs, affordable credit facilities and subsidized mineral fertilisers. Post-harvest storage, collective action with full scale community involvement and ownership should be heightened. Socioeconomic approaches should target promotion of soybean processing and utilization among all ethnic groups, participation of male folks and female headed households as well as advocating for increased nutrition sensitive social protection. In the medium or long term, capacity building, market development, import substitution agreements, creation of new products, development of cottage industries, information exchange and inter district trade as well as more public-private partnerships and more local private sector players should be bolstered. Lastly farm diversification should be supported.

Overweight and its associated risk factors among students in tertiary institutions of learning in Mongu District of Western Province, Zambia; A cross-sectional survey

Background: Overweight and obesity are key public health issues in many high-income countries and have become a major public health concern affecting all ages, including adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries. This study determined the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their associated factors among undergraduate students at colleges and universities in the Mongu district of the Western Province of Zambia. Methods: This was across-sectional study. Undergraduate students aged 18 to 26 years were sampled from two colleges and one university in Mongu. Data was collected electronically by trained research assistants using a structured questionnaire. using Kobo Collect software. Data was analysed using Stata version 14 software. The analysis included descriptive statistics, using counts,frequencies ,percentages, means and medians depending on the distribution of the data. Chi-squared tests of association, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression were done to test for association between overweight and independent variables. Ap-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results:Atotal of 330 students were captured in the survey; over half of the respondents were female students 214 (64.85%), while 116 (35.15%) were male respondents. Body Mass Index (BMI) showed that 21 (6.8%) were underweight, 208 (63.0%) had normal weight, 76 (23.0%) were overweight, and 25 (7.6%)wereobese.Factorsassociatedwithoverweight and obesity included female sex a OR 1.68 (95%CI 1.02 ­ 2.76), age and alcohol intake. Conclusions:Athird of the students were either overweight or obese. Sex, age and alcohol intake were significantly associated with overweight and obesityamongstudents.Theprevalenceofoverweight and obesity is high among young adults, and this calls for early interventions in learning institutions to combat obesity.