This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between selected characteristics and body composition of mothers and children in early life.This study included 213 mother-child pairs 6 to 8 months involving in the cohort study of the Research and Development Project conducted in Kaffrine district. The main outcomes were fat-free mass (FFM) and body fat (BF), measured using deuterium dilution method and anthropometry. Independent variables were sociodemographic, dietary diversity and health characteristics. Descriptive, correlation, bivariate and multiple regression analyses were conducted. According to body mass index (BMI), 23% of mothers were underweight, 12% were overweight/obese and 11% had excess BF. Four per cent of children were below −2 weight-for-length z-score (WLZ), 10% were below −2 length-for-age z-score (LAZ) and 40% had excess BF. Maternal FFM was positively correlated with child FFM (r = 0.25, P = 0.002).Similarly, mothers' BMI, FFM and BF were significantly and positively correlated with children's LAZ. Stepwise regression showed an increased association between minimum dietary diversity (MDD) and WLZ score, FFM and BF of children. Among mothers, being employee and doing reproductive health care were determinants of higher BMI, FFM and BF. This study found a strong association between maternal and child body composition in early life. Adequate diet is the main determinant of children nutritional status. Among the mothers, having a job and doing primary health care seem to be beneficial for the nutritional status. Improvement of women's empowerment, quality of health care and dietary diversity could have a positive impact on maternal and child nutrition.

This study evaluated the sensory properties and consumer acceptance of boiled, fried, and mashed orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), by rural lactating women (n=80) and their children <2 years old (n=77). Sensory evaluation and acceptability were performed using a 7-point hedonic scale. Intake parameters (food intake and eating rate), and vitamin A content in the OFSP were measured. The relationships between the sensory descriptors and the type of OFSP preparations was analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) plot. Frying and boiling the OFSP decreased the vitamin A content by 50%, but an acceptable level of retinol was maintained. For all sensory attributes, mothers preferred fried OFSP over boiled, while their children gave high acceptability scores to both boiled and mashed OFSP. The success of the OFSP cultivar, which is newly introduced in Kaffrine, and its high acceptability are promising for the prevention of maternal and child vitamin A deficiency in the rural areas of Senegal.

Ultra-processed foods (UPF), as proposed by the Nova food classification system, are linked to the development of several non-communicable chronic diseases and deaths from all causes. The Nova-UPF screener developed in Brazil is a simple and quick tool to assess and monitor the consumption of these food products. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate, against the 24-hour dietary recall, this short food-based screener to assess UPF consumption in the Senegalese context. The tool adaptation was undertaken using Delphi methodology with national experts and data from a food market survey. The validation study was conducted in the urban area of Dakar in a sample of 301 adults, using the dietary share of UPF on the day prior to the survey, expressed as a percentage of total energy intake obtained via 24-hour recall. Association between the Nova score and the dietary share of UPF was evaluated using linear regression models. The Pabak index was used to assess the agreement in participants classification according to fifths of Nova score and fifths of dietary share of UPF. Results show a direct association (p-value<0.001) between intervals of the Nova-UPF score and the average dietary share of UPF. There was an almost perfect agreement in the distribution of individuals according to scores quintiles and UPF dietary share quintiles (Pabak index = 0.84). The study concluded that the score provided by the Nova-UPF screener adapted to the Senegalese context is a valid assessment of UPF consumption.

Background: Despite micronutrient supplementation and food fortification strategies carried out for decades, micronutrient deficiencies remain prevalent among children under 5 years old in rural area in Senegal. The OR4FOOD project was implemented as a preventive and long-term approach to reduce malnutrition through biofortification. Objective: We aimed to assess the baseline dietary intakes and nutritional status of the mother-child (6-23 months old) pair in a rural community in Senegal. Methods: Dietary intakes were assessed using dietary recall questionnaires and weight food records. All foods and beverages consumed from waking to bedtime were quantified, and nutrient intakes were calculated. The nutritional status was measured by anthropometry. Results: Results showed that 77.2% of children had low dietary diversity score. Only 18% of them received an appropriate complementary feeding according to the minimum acceptable diet. Cereals and legumes were among the most consumed food groups, whereas orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and animal food products were rarely consumed. Median dietary intakes of iron, zinc, and vitamin A were lower than the recommended dietary allowances. Acute malnutrition and stunting affected 14.6% and 16.9% of children, respectively. Overall, 20.8% of mothers were underweighted, and overweight/obesity affected 23.1% of them. Conclusion: Malnutrition remains prevalent in rural areas of Senegal and affects both mothers and children. Furthermore, their nutrient requirements were not covered by the diet. Millet and cowpea being widely consumed, optimizing their iron and zinc content through biofortification and the introduction of OFSP might improve micronutrient intakes and would be promising strategies to prevent child malnutrition.

Aims: To evaluate the agronomic and nutritional performances of three varieties of sweet potato (Kandee, Caromex and Gandiol1) cultivated for the first time in the agro-ecological zone of the groundnut basin in Senegal. Study Design: The experiment was arranged in Randomized Completely Block Design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted during two growing seasons from April to August 2017 and from October 2018 to February 2019 in Sagna village (Kaffrine, Senegal). Methodology: The planting of the cuttings was done with a density of 0.3 x 1 m or 3333.3 cuttings ha-1. Drip irrigation was used and mineral fertilization with 15-15-15 was applied. In each elementary plot, 5 plants were checked monthly for growth and phytosanitary monitoring. The harvest took place at 145 days after planting. The yields and agro-morphological characteristics of the roots were determined as well as their nutritional value and the incidence of bio-aggressor attacks. Results: The success percentage of cuttings was 90.1, 90.5 and 88% for Kandee, Caromex and Gandiol1, respectively. The length development of sweet potato stems was variable between the 3 varieties. The Gandiol1 variety with stems longer than 1.6 m was very spread out contrary to Caromex whose average stem length did not exceed 0.5 m. The marketable tuber yields obtained were comparable between the varieties and were 21.5, 22.5 and 13.4 t ha-1 respectively for Kandee, Caromex and Gandiol1. The morphology of the tubers was different in shape (diameter and length) but also in flesh color. Kandee had orange flesh, rich in carotenoids (101.1 mg/kg; P<0.001), Caromex a cream color with carotenes of 43.2 mg kg-1 and Gandiol1 a white flesh. Caromex had the best proportion of dry matter (40.6%; P<0.001) compared to the other varieties. This amount of dry matter was correlated with the marketable root yield (r=0.54; P=0.04) and the carbohydrates amount (r = 0.52; P=0.05). Bio-aggressor incidence on tubers was lower for the Kandee variety (10.3%; P=0.01). Conclusion: Sweet potato varieties performed well in the agro-ecological conditions of the groundnut basin and showed comparable agronomic performance. The three varieties can be discriminated on the level of their nutritional quality, particularly on their β-carotene content.