TY - JOUR
T1 - Children consuming cassava as a staple food are at risk for inadequate zinc, iron, and vitamin A intake
AU - Gegios, Alison
AU - Amthor, Rachel
AU - Maziya-Dixon, Busie
AU - Egesi, Chedozie
AU - Mallowa, Sally
AU - Nungo, Rhoda
AU - Gichuki, Simon
AU - Mbanaso, Ada
AU - Manary, Mark J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements The study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The funding agency played no role in the study design, data analyses or the conclusions drawn from the data. We thank Violet Gathara and Vincent Osidiana for the work in the field collecting data and samples.
PY - 2010/3
Y1 - 2010/3
N2 - Cassava contains little zinc, iron, and β-carotene, yet it is the primary staple crop of over 250 million Africans. This study used a 24-hour dietary recall to test the hypothesis that among healthy children aged 2-5 years in Nigeria and Kenya, cassava's contribution to the childrens' daily diets is inversely related to intakes of zinc, iron, and vitamin A. Dietary and demographic data and anthropometric measurements were collected from 449 Kenyan and 793 Nigerian children. Among Kenyan children 89% derived at least 25% of their dietary energy from cassava, while among the Nigerian children 31% derived at least 25% of energy from cassava. Spearman's correlation coefficient between the fraction of dietary energy obtained from cassava and vitamin A intake was r =-0.15, P<0.0001, zinc intake was r =-0.11,P< 0.0001 and iron intake was r =-0.36,P<0.0001. In Kenya, 59% of children consumed adequate vitamin A, 22% iron, and 31% zinc. In Nigeria, 17% of children had adequate intake of vitamin A, 57% iron, and 41% zinc. Consumption of cassava is a risk factor for inadequate vitamin A, zinc and/or iron intake.
AB - Cassava contains little zinc, iron, and β-carotene, yet it is the primary staple crop of over 250 million Africans. This study used a 24-hour dietary recall to test the hypothesis that among healthy children aged 2-5 years in Nigeria and Kenya, cassava's contribution to the childrens' daily diets is inversely related to intakes of zinc, iron, and vitamin A. Dietary and demographic data and anthropometric measurements were collected from 449 Kenyan and 793 Nigerian children. Among Kenyan children 89% derived at least 25% of their dietary energy from cassava, while among the Nigerian children 31% derived at least 25% of energy from cassava. Spearman's correlation coefficient between the fraction of dietary energy obtained from cassava and vitamin A intake was r =-0.15, P<0.0001, zinc intake was r =-0.11,P< 0.0001 and iron intake was r =-0.36,P<0.0001. In Kenya, 59% of children consumed adequate vitamin A, 22% iron, and 31% zinc. In Nigeria, 17% of children had adequate intake of vitamin A, 57% iron, and 41% zinc. Consumption of cassava is a risk factor for inadequate vitamin A, zinc and/or iron intake.
KW - Cassava
KW - Iron
KW - Micronutrient deficiency
KW - Vitamin A
KW - Zinc
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/77949541198
U2 - 10.1007/s11130-010-0157-5
DO - 10.1007/s11130-010-0157-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 20165984
AN - SCOPUS:77949541198
SN - 0921-9668
VL - 65
SP - 64
EP - 70
JO - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
JF - Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
IS - 1
ER -