Nutritional benefits of grain legume cultivation within the N2Africa project in Northern Ghana

Ilse de Jager

N2Africa project

Agricultural productivity by BNF • • • • Ghana, Nigeria, DRC, Malawi, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zimbabwe New: Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia Groundnut, soybean, cowpea, climbing bean, pigeon pea, common bean Demonstration plots for smallholder farmers (field day, farmer groups) Literature study and case studies

Objectives

•

Assessing impact (quantitative):

– Nutrient adequacy of the diet – Nutritional status

By quasi-experimental, cross-sectional study

• Assessing pathways (qualitative): – Via food availability – Via income

By focus group discussions

Methodology –study area

• Ghana – 238.537 km 2 , lowland country, on average 26 ºC – 28 % of children < 5 are stunted, 9 % are wasted • Districts – Rainfall – Market accessibility

Methodology -subjects

• Selection of N2Africa villages and farmers – Villages in N2Africa project from 2010 – Farmers who received inputs in 2012 • Selection of non-N2Africa villages and household – Villages supervised by same extension officer – Random walk method

Methodology -subjects

• Households were included when present: – (N2Africa) farmer – Child of 6 – 59 month old (if >1, randomly selected) – Mother of child (if >1 wife, randomly selected)

N2Africa group: N = 129 Non-N2Africa gourp: N = 202

Methodology - IDDS

• Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) – Proxy measure of nutrient adequacy – 24 hour recalls – 14 Food groups

Food group Cereals (1) Vitamin A rich vegetables and tubers (>60 RAE) (2) White roots and tubers (3) Dark green leafy vegetables (>60 RAE) (4) Other vegetables (5) Vitamin A rich fruits (>60 RAE) (6) Other fruits (7) Organ meat (8) Flesh meat (9) Eggs (10) Fish (11) Legumes, nuts and seeds (12) Milk and milk products (13) Oil and fats (14) Yes/No

Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes

Methodology - IDDS

• Role play • • • • • • Open questions Not suggestive ALL ingredients (mixed meals -> ask!) Probe for snacks, fruits and fluids Bought items (check ingredients on market) Analysing: food composition table for categorisation into food groups (vitamin A rich vegetables and fruits)

Methodology - anthropometry

• Measuring nutritional status Height Weight -Children <2: recumbent length -remove shoes, jackets -Children >2: standing height -child <2: with mother -Analysis: 0.7 cm (length child>2) -child >2: stand still

Methodology -measurements

• Analysing nutritional status – Use WHO reference population 2006 – SPSS syntax (anthro+), epi info (low key, free) Stunted Severe stunted Wasted Severe wasted Underweight Severe Underweight <-2 Z-scores height-for-age <-3 Z-scores height-for-age <-2 Z-scores weight-for-height <-3 Z-scores weight-for-height <-2 Z-scores weight-for-age <-3 Z-scores weight-for-age

Results

Individual dietary diversity

N2Africa subjects and non-N2Africa subjects

N2Africa Non-N2Africa Outcome

IDDS, out of 14 food groups children <2 years children 2 – 5 years

Unit

Mean (SD) Mean (SD) Mean (SD)

N = 129

5.5 (1.9) 4.2

6.1 (1.2)

N = 202

5.1 (1.8)* 4.1

5.6 (1.3)* Minimum dietary diversity (7 groups, IDDS>=4, child< 2) % (N) 62.5 (25) 56.0 (14)

*P<0.05 (Mann-Whitney U test);

• • Children > 2 years of N2Africa participants have a more nutrient adequate diet Children < 2 years do not differ

Consumption of food groups

Results

• N2Africa subjects consumed more: ‘White roots and tubers’, ‘Other fruits’, ‘Legumes, nuts & seeds’ and ‘Oils & fats’

Results

Nutritional status indicators

N2Africa subjects and non-N2Africa subjects

Overall

Non-N2Africa villages (n=202) N2Africa villages (n=129) Characteristic Stunting (length/height-for-age) % (N) 29.2 (59) % (N) 35.7 (46) Wasting (weight-for-age) 10.9 (22) 6.2 (8) Underweight (weight-for-height) • • Long-term effect 23.3 (47) Other causes of malnutrition 24.0 (31)

Children <2 years

Non-N2Africa villages (n=76) N2Africa villages (n=40) % (N) 25.0 (19) 23.7 (18) 31.6 (24) % (N) 27.5 (11) 17.5 (7) 27.5 (11)

Conclusions

• • Legume intake higher in N2Africa subjects • N2Africa seems to increase the nutrient adequacy of the diet of children > 2 years, but not < 2 years No impact on nutritional status • Involving nutrition from the beginning...

-Target households with children under 5, adolescent girls - Varieties of legumes high in iron, low in phytate(measure) - Collaborate with other projects (health, WASH) - Nutritional value addition within value chain

Questions?

n2africa.tv/video/77717212