This case study was conducted in healthcare facilities in Kilifi and Nairobi to explore how environmental monitoring can address the mental health needs of vulnerable perinatal adolescents. Outdoor air quality sensors were installed at Kangemi and Kariobangi North health centers in Nairobi, and Mtwapa and Vipingo health centers in Kilifi, as well as in two households of perinatal adolescents. Community health workers collected air quality, noise exposure, and experiential data on stress and mood. Findings revealed site‑specific variations in PM2.5 concentrations, with Kariobangi recording the highest mean (29.45 µg/m³), far exceeding WHO’s 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³. Noise monitoring showed consistently elevated exposure, with Kangemi averaging 52.2 dB, surpassing WHO’s recommended hospital threshold (less than 35-40 dB). Household monitoring highlighted operational challenges, including sensor deployment constraints and intra‑day variability. The study demonstrates that air and noise monitoring can strengthen health systems and improve patient care, but emphasizes the need for both mitigation (reducing pollution sources) and adaptation (coping strategies) to protect vulnerable populations.
Tag: children
Dietary intakes of Karen hill tribe children aged 1-6 years in northern Thailand
Malnutrition results from insufficient intakes of food including micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron, iodine, zinc, and folic acid. This paper reported the results from a study of dietary intakes of Karen hill tribe children aged 1-6 years in the north of Thailand. All children aged 1-6 years (n=158; 83 boys, 75 girls) from the three Karen villages (Mae Hae Tai, Mae Yot, Mae Raek) of Mae Chaem district in the north of Thailand were studied. All children were examined by a qualified medical doctor and were assessed for their nutrient intakes using 24 hours dietary recall. All families had income lower than the Thailand poverty line (US $ 1000/year). For children aged 1-3 years, the nutrients generally consumed were much less than the Thai RDA. Compared with the Thai RDA, all children consumed much less energy (28%-40.5% RDA) than protein (55.8%-96.1% RDA). Interestingly, all boys and only girls from Mae Raek village consumed vitamin A more than the Thai RDA but girls from Mae Hae Tai village and Mae Yot village consumed vitamin A less than the Thai RDA. For children aged 4-6 years, boys from Mae Raek village consumed protein (128.4% RDA) and vitamin C (143.1% RDA) above the Thai RDA. Girls from Mae Yot village also consumed vitamin C (132.9% RDA) above the Thai RDA. Both boys and girls from Mae Raek village and girls from Mae Yot village consumed vitamin A more than the Thai RDA. Other nutrients were consumed much less than the Thai RDA by all children. All children consumed protein more than 10% of the total energy consumption per day. Most of the energy consumed by children came from carbohydrate. Nearly all children consumed carbohydrate more than 50% of the total energy consumption per day except boys aged 1-3 years from Mae Raek village (consumed 45%). All children from Mae Hae Tai village and boys aged 4-6 years from Mae Yot village (consumed 27%) consumed fat less than 30% of the total energy consumption per day. It appeared that the priority recommendations for improving nutrition in Karen villages in Mae Chaem would be increase energy consumption such as fat and oil. More general work is needed on how children’s diets might be improved in a culturally acceptable manner, so as to bring comsumption patterns closer to recommended allowance levels.
Prevalence, correlates of undernutrition and intestinal parasitic infection among children below 5 years living in the forest community of Ndelele, East Region of Cameroon: A cross-sectional assessment
In low- and middle-income countries, undernutrition often co-exists with intestinal parasites, especially Soil Transmitted Helminth (STH) infections in children. The collective impact of both conditions result in undernutrition and can exacerbate the general poor health status of children. A cross-sectional survey of 422 mother-child (12–59 months old) pairs from 14 villages in the District of Ndelele, East Region of Cameroon, was carried out to assess the magnitude and correlates of undernutrition and intestinal parasites. Socio-demographic data were collected from mothers and anthropometric data were collected from children. Parasitological assessment was performed using a combination of direct microscopy flotation, sedimentation and centrifugation techniques. Correlates of undernutrition and intestinal parasites were identified using multinomial logistic regression at individual and household levels. 83.77% of the children assessed for undernutrition were undernourished and 66.82% were positive for one or more intestinal parasites. It was not uncommon for the study participants to be concurrently infected with two or more intestinal parasites. The most common intestinal parasitic infections detected in the study were A. lumbricoides, E. histolytica/dispar and Hookworm infection. Multinomial logistic regression using Nutritional status as outcome showed that, children who were not exclusively breastfed were 106% (RR = 2.06; C.I = 1.12–3.80) more likely to be underweight compared to those who were exclusively breastfed. The household size of 4 to 6 persons also significantly impacted wasting (p-value = 0.007) at 7% (RR = 1.07, C.I = 0.49–2.32). Analysis by a logistic regression model with STH infection as outcome revealed that, Fingernail cleanness (p-value = 0.044; AOR = 1.75; CI = 1.09–2.78) and household size (p-value = 0.038; AOR = 0.55; CI = 0.32–0.92) were positively associated with intestinal parasite infection at the 5% significant level. This study reveals that intestinal helminthic parasitic infections (STH) and undernutrition are serious health problems in children below five in the study area. To address this dire situation, concerted efforts are needed to improve sanitation, hygiene education access, community deworming programs, and improve diets.
Increasing fruit and vegetables consumption among children: a systematic review of animated nutrition interventions
Low consumption of fruits and vegetables among children can lead to deprivation of micronutrients necessary for growth and development and predispose them to NCDs later in life. Low consumption of these nutrient-rich foods is related to high consumption of nutrient-poor, high-energy foods, which leads to childhood overweight and obesity. Many children do not consume enough fruits and vegetables to meet recommendations. This review aims to assess the effectiveness of animated interventions in increasing children’s fruit and vegetable consumption. Articles on animated interventions for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among children were systematically reviewed from Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. For the literature searches, inclusion and exclusion criteria were established, and the methodology followed the PRISMA recommendations. Extracted data were synthesized to show the effectiveness of interventions. Thirteen studies (2003-2017) of animated interventions targeting children (3-12 years) designed to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables met the criteria for inclusion in the systematic review. Most of the studies (69.2%) were in the United States, with no studies in LMICs identified. The animation interventions used games (46.2%), characters (23.1%), adventures (23.1%), and comic books (7.7 %). 11 of the analysed studies revealed positive or neutral effects of interventions on fruit and vegetable consumption. Parental participation, goal setting, and rewards were identified as facilitators of success. Identified interventions were effective in the short term (follow-up <12months). The games and adventure interventions had the greatest effect, with multi-component interventions most effective in increasing fruit and vegetable intake.
Improving Nutrition in Tshopo Province, DRC
Malnutrition rates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been amongst the highest in the world for the last few decades and do not appear to be improving. Tshopo Province located in eastern DRC is rich in natural resources including forests and two of the country’s largest rivers the Congo and Tshopo Rivers. Despite these resources, evidence suggests that people living in the province experience food insecurity and malnutrition. The most recent survey shows that 41.8% of children under five in the province suffer from chronic malnutrition (stunting), 6.5% experience acute malnutrition (wasting) and 23.1% are underweight for their age (NIS 2019). These figures are close to the national averages for DRC.
Factors affecting fruit and vegetable consumption and purchase behavior of adults in sub-Saharan Africa: A rapid review
In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, considerable dietary shifts, including an increase in the consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) will be required. However, worldwide consumption of FV is far below international recommendations, including in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly in Africa. Understanding what, where, when, and how people choose to eat requires an understanding of how individuals are influenced by factors in their social, physical, and macro-level environments. In order to develop effective interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, the factors influencing consumer behavior need to be better understood. We conducted a rapid review to assess and synthesize data on individual, social, physical, and macro-level factors that enable or constrain fruit and vegetable consumption and purchase among adults living in sub-Saharan Africa. Our conceptual framework is based on a socio-ecological model which has been adapted to settings in LMICs and Africa. We systematically searched four electronic databases including Scopus, Medline (PubMed), PsycInfo, and African Index Medicus, and screened Google Scholar for gray literature. We included a total of 52 studies and narratively summarized the existing evidence for each identified factor across the different levels. We found that most studies assessed demographic factors at the individual level including household or family income, socio-economic status and education. Furthermore we identified a variety of important factors that influence FV consumption, in the social, physical, and macro environment. These include women’s empowerment and gender inequalities, the influence of neighborhood and retail food environment such as distance to market and price of FV as well as the importance of natural landscapes including forest areas for FV consumption. This review identified the need to develop and improve indicators both for exposure and outcome variables but also to diversify research approaches.
Closing the hunger gap with fruit trees
Evaluation of Anemic Pupils Nutritional Status Fed with Recipes Based on Sweet Potatoes, Soya and Cowpea in Nawa Region, Côte d’Ivoire
In underdeveloped countries a great number of school-age children suffered of malnutrition and anemia. This is due to a less diversified diet and had an impact on their intellectual capacities. A study was conducted in four schools in Nawa region of Côte d’Ivoire with the aim to evaluate the impact of selected foods on anemic children nutritional status. One meal was proposed by school: rice with tomato sauce and meat, sweet potatoes stew with soya, sweet potatoes stew with cowpea and sweet potatoes stew with soya and cowpea. A total of 75 children aged from 6 to 15 years old participate, and they ate the meals twice in a week for 3 months. Anthropometric measurements (weight and height) and blood sampling were taken at 3 periods: at the beginning, middle and end of the study. The results showed that hemoglobin values were under normal rate for all children except in Petit-Bondoukou and Takoreagui in period 1 (11.67 and 11.82 g/dl respectively). There was an increase of anemia prevalence from 18.18 % to 40.91 % for children who ate rice with tomato sauce and meat and from 43.75 % to 50.00 % for children who ate potatoes stew with cowpea. But there was a decrease of anemia rate from 61.54 % to 53.83 % for children who ate potatoes stew with soya. Nutritional status according to anthropometric measurement increased for children of Gnaboya and Petit-Bondoukou. Albumin (33.25 g/l) and orosomucoid (0.69 mg/l) value of children who ate tomato sauce and meat were lower in period 1 than that of children of the other villages. According to prognostic inflammatory nutritional index, children present a low malnutrition risk which varied between 7.69 to 43.75 %. Diet diversification should be applied for a long period to better appreciate their impact on nutritional and anemia status improvement.
Impact of Food Diversification on the Status of Fat- Soluble Vitamins in School-aged Children in the Nawa Region (Côte d’Ivoire)
Introduction: In Côte d’Ivoire, there is an imbalance between the dietary intake and the nutritional requirements of school-aged children. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of food diversification, namely sweet potato, soya and cowpea, on vitamin A, D and E profiles among school-aged children in Côte d’Ivoire. Methodology: This study was conducted over eight months (from October 2017 to May 2018). It included 240 school-aged children (6 – 12 years old) who were divided into four groups of 60 pupils. These children consumed food at school canteens in 12 localities of the Nawa region. Four types of meals were proposed: rice with fish (Group 1 control), sweet potato porridge accompanied by green soybean (Group 2), sweet potato porridge accompanied by white cowpea (Group 3), and sweet potato porridge accompanied by cowpea with soya balls (Group 4). Three blood samples were collected: Phase 0 (prior to the consumption of the meals), Phase 1 (sampling taken three months later) and Phase 2 (sampling taken six months later). Blood assay for vitamins A, D and E was performed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: Before the children consumed food at the canteen (phase 0), a sufficient amount of vitamins A, D and E was observed, except for group 4 where a deficiency of vitamin D (<30 ng/mL) was noted. The levels of vitamins A and D decreased in groups 1, 2 and 3 from phase 0 to phase 2. However, they increased in children of group 4 from 0.5 to 0.8 mg/L and from 22 to 28 ng/mL respectively. The vitamin E level increased in all groups from phase 0 to phase 2. The improvement in vitamin E status was more remarkable in the children of group 2 and group 4 with levels varying from 8.5 to 11.8 mg/L and 8.3 to 10.6 mg/L respectively. Conclusion: Improvements in vitamin A, D, and E status were more pronounced in children who ate sweet potato, soybean, and cowpea meal compared to their mean concentration at the beginning of the study. The sweet potato, soybean, and cowpea-based meal could be chosen as a means of food diversification in school canteens in order to improve the vitamin status of school-aged children.
Understanding Growth and Malnutrition in Baka Pygmy Children
We determined stunting, wasting, and obesity frequencies in a total 1092 2-to-12 year old Baka Pygmy children from anthropometric and health data gathered in 34 villages in the Djoum-Mintom region in southeastern Cameroon in four health campaigns in 2010 and 2017–9. We compare these to the WHO Child Growth Standards, Amazonian Tsiname growth references for inter-population comparisons and the study population itself. Population-specific growth charts were constructed using GAMLSS modelling. Our results show that Baka children have one of the highest global rates of stunting relative to the WHO child growth standard with 57.8% for 2-to-12 year olds and 64% and 73% for 2-to-4 year old girls and boys, respectively. Frequencies of wasting, overweight, and low BMI were low at 3.4%, 4.6% and 4.3%, respectively, for 2-to-12 year olds. Underweight was at 25.5%, in the upper range for sub-Saharan Africa. Edemas indicated rare severe malnutrition (0.3%). Uncertainties in age estimation had dramatic effects on the reliability of estimated individual z-scores but distributions of z-scores were robust at a population level. In the context of the recent evidence for genetic adaptation of the Pygmies’ small stature to the tropical forest environment we argue that WHO child standards for weight and BMI are applicable. However, standards for height are clearly not adequate for Pygmy people. To achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals, we recommend that Pygmy specific growth standards are developed for the various, genetically differing Pygmy tribes.