Background. Stiff porridge (ugali) made from unrefined maize flour has been a staple food in Tanzania. Recently, high intakes of refined carbohydrates and energy-dense foods have been documented in urban areas in Tanzania. We assessed cultural acceptability, perceptions and barriers to consumption of unrefined carbohydrates in Tanzania. Methods. Twelve focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted among 44 overweight and obese adults aged 40-65 years. All FGDs were audio-recorded, and QSR N6 software was used for data analysis. Results. Most participants (77%) had tried and liked unrefined maize ugali prior to our study. For unrefined sorghum ugali, 12 participants had tried it before, and 9 of them liked it. Brown rice was found to be unpopular and was considered a diet for diabetic patients; four participants had tried it before and all reported to like it. Sensory appeal, availability, and affordability were key facilitators whereas high cost, scarcity, and negative perceptions toward whole grains were mentioned as barriers to consumption of unrefined carbohydrates. Conclusion. Our study has identified facilitators and barriers to consumption of unrefined carbohydrates in Tanzania. Educational strategies are recommended in order to increase consumption of unrefined carbohydrates and consequently reduce diet-related chronic diseases in Tanzania.
BACKGROUND: Nomadic life not only prevents the community from accessing and utilising HIV services but also deters them from obtaining reliable information on HIV.METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of youth aged 10–24 years from the Kilindi and Ngorongoro Districts in Tanzania to assess knowledge, accessibility and utilisation of HIV/AIDS services among nomadic and agricultural youths.RESULTS: Of 518 youths interviewed, 279 (53.9%) were males, and 276 (53.3%) were from agricultural communities. A significant proportion of youths from agricultural communities had correct knowledge of AIDS (n = 126, 45.8%; P = 0.002), HIV transmission (n = 273, 98.9%; P = 0.001) and comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS (n = 78, 28.5%; P = 0.009) compared to nomads. Youths from agricultural communities were two times (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2–2.6) more likely to be aware of the availability of formal HIV services. Awareness of the availability of HIV services was higher among married individuals than in unmarried ones (OR 3.8, 95% CI 2.0–7.4), and significantly higher among youths with secondary/college education than in those who did not have formal education (OR 5.3, 95% CI 2.3–12.4). The uptake of HIV services was lower among nomadic youths.CONCLUSION: Knowledge, awareness and utilisation of HIV/AIDS transmission services were low in general, and even lower among nomadic youths, calling for more targeted interventions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.