Assessing nutrient inadequacies and influence of socio-economic characteristics on diet quality of the Mbororo minority women in Northwest Cameroon. Issue 4 (28th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ebile, Pride Anya; Ndah, Hycenth Tim; Wünsche, Jens Norbert
• Is Part Of: Nutrition & food science. Volume 51:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 738
• Page End: 748
• Publication Date: 2020-09-28
• Subjects: Nutrition -- Dietary diversity -- Micronutrient deficiencies; Nutrition -- Periodicals; Food -- Periodicals; 664.005
• DOI: 10.1108/NFS-07-2020-0265
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0034-6659

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: Limited data are available in facilitating nutritional interventions in developing countries. The objective of this study is to assess the mean dietary diversity score (DDS)of Mbororo minority women in the Northwest region of Cameroon. Design/methodology/approach: The study used the random sampling technique within the Mbororo minority communities (Adorates). A questionnaire on dietary diversity, including 461 Mbororo women, provided information on food consumed using the 24-h dietary recall method. Findings: Various socio-cultural and economic characteristics of the Mbororo women affected the nutrient level of their diet. Moreover, starchy staples, vitamin-A rich vegetables and palm oil and milk and milk products were consumed by more than half of the Mbororo community. Family herd size showed a positive influence on the dietary habit of the Mbororo population. The mean DDS significantly increased ( p = 0.001), as herd size increased from below 50 (3.9 ± 1.1) to above 100 (4.8 ± 1.2). Practical implications: Most of the diet consumed by the Mbororo women were low in iron, making them susceptible to nutrition anemia. The diet of the Aku women was more deficient in micronutrients than their Jaafun counterpart. These results indicate suitable areas of intervention for any nutrition program that targets the Mbororo minority group of Northwest Cameron. Social implications: DDS can be used in assessing and classifying the population in rural communities according to the deficiencies in micronutrients of their diet. Originality/value: The use of DDS to assess the nutrient quality of diets is frequently used to evaluate the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies but has never been applied to Mbororo minority women.