Crossbreeding data involving Ghana Shorthorn, Sokoto Gudali and their Jersey F1s and backcrosses collected over a 16-year period were analysed to estimate additive and heterotic effects for milk production, reproduction and calf growth traits. Sokoto Gudali was significantly better than Ghana Shorthorn in all milk production traits. Calving interval and annualized milk production were better in Gudali than in the Shorthorn. The F1s had higher lactation milk yield, milked longer, produced their first calves earlier and had shorter dry periods and calving intervals than their corresponding purebreds. However, genotype was not significant for number of services per conception. Both F1s had higher average daily gain and weaning weight than their corresponding purebreds. Sokoto Gudali backcross (Jersey × F1) was significantly (P < 0·05) better than the F1 in lactation length. However, in Gudali crosses, there was no advantage in increasing the proportion of Jersey genes beyond 0·5 for milk production traits. Additive effects were significantly (at least P < 0·05) lower in the Shorthorn and the Gudali than in Jersey for milk production traits except proportion of butterfat. Heterosis estimates were significant (P < 0·01) for milk production traits for the Shorthorn but not for the Gudali. Heterotic effects were large and significant (at least P < 0·05) in improving annualized milk production in Shorthorn crosses, whilst none of the heterotic effects for reproductive traits was significant. At both 0 and 0·5 levels of Jersey inheritance, the Gudali was superior (P < 0·01) to the Shorthorn in birth weight, weaning weight and pre-weaning average daily gain. Heterotic effects for calf traits were positive and much larger in Gudali crosses than in Shorthorn crosses. In general, backcrosses were, at best, similar to the F1s implying that upgrading these indigenous breeds beyond 0·5 European inheritance may not be desirable.

Micronutrient deficiencies limit child health and development. Although animal source foods (ASF) provide highly bioavailable micronutrients, Ghanaian preschoolers consume little. Participatory rapid appraisal methods identified constraints to the availability, accessibility, and utilization of ASF. Stakeholders working with or living in six communities in three agro-ecological zones reported constraints including low income, lack of access to technology and markets, inequitable household food allocation, inadequate knowledge, and beliefs. The least expensive ASF was fish, which was easy to preserve and consumed by all communities. Since ASF was primarily purchased, interventions that increase income may be most successful in improving Ghanaian children's diets.

An integrated package of microcredit and education may improve nutritional outcomes of children living in poor, rural communities.

Caregivers' nutrition knowledge and attitudes may influence the variety of foods available in the household and the quality of children's diets. To test the link, this study collected data on caregivers' (n 608) nutrition knowledge and feeding attitudes as well as the diets of their household and of their 2-5-year-old children in twelve rural communities nested in the three main agro-ecological zones of Ghana. Household foods and children's animal source foods (ASF) consumed in the past 7 d were categorised into one of fourteen and ten groups, respectively. About 28 % of caregivers believed that their children needed to be fed only 2-3 times/d. Reasons for having adult supervision during child meal times, feeding diverse foods, prioritising a child to receive ASF and the perceived child benefits of ASF differed across zones (P < 0·001). Households with caregivers belonging to the highest tertile of nutrition knowledge and attitude scores consumed more diverse diets compared with those of caregivers in the lowest tertile group (11·2 (SD 2·2) v. 10·0 (SD 2·4); P < 0·001). After controlling for the effect of agro-ecological zone, caregivers' nutrition knowledge and feeding attitudes positively predicted household dietary diversity and the frequency and diversity of children's ASF intakes (P < 0·001). The number of years of formal education of caregivers also positively predicted household dietary diversity and children's ASF diversity (P < 0·001). A key component to improving child nutrition is to understand the context-specific nutrition knowledge and feeding attitudes in order to identify relevant interventions.

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