Cowpeas in Northern Ghana and the Factors that Predict Caregivers’ Intention to Give Them to Schoolchildren

Abstract

BackgroundCowpeas are important staple legumes among the rural poor in northern Ghana. Our objectives were to assess the iron and zinc content of cowpea landraces and identify factors that predict the intention of mothers/caregivers to give cowpeas to their schoolchildren.Methods and FindingsWe performed biochemical analysis on 14 landraces of cowpeas and assessed the opinion of 120 caregiver-child pairs on constructs based on the combined model of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Health Belief Model. We used correlations and multiple regressions to measure simple associations between constructs and identify predictive constructs. Cowpea landraces contained iron and zinc in the range of 4.9–8.2 mg/100 g d.w and 2.7–4.1 mg/100 g d.w respectively. The landraces also contained high amounts of phytate (477–1110 mg/100 g d.w) and polyphenol (327–1055 mg/100 g d.w). Intention of mothers was strongly associated (rs = 0.72, P<0.001) with and predicted (β = 0.63, P<0.001) behaviour. The constructs, barriers (β = –0.42, P = 0.001) and attitudes towards behaviour (β = 0.25, P<0.028), significantly predicted intention albeit the predictive ability of the model was weak.ConclusionsWe conclude that some cowpea landraces from northern Ghana have appreciable amounts of iron and zinc but probably with poor bioavailability. Attitudes towards giving cowpeas and perception of barriers are important predictors of caregivers’ intention to give cowpeas to their schoolchildren. Finally our results suggest that increasing knowledge on nutritional benefits of cowpeas may increase health values caregivers hold for their children in support of giving cowpeas to schoolchildren.

A Rapid Method for Measuring Seed Protein Content in Cowpea (&lt;i&gt;Vigna unguiculata&lt;/i&gt; (L.) Walp)

“…Cowpea is grown as a food crop, but also as a canned vegetable product (both for the greens and the green peas), a cover crop, and as fodder. Cowpea primarily provides protein, soluble sugar, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals [1] [7] [8].…”

The Nutrient and Metabolite Profile of 3 Complementary Legume Foods with Potential to Improve Gut Health in Rural Malawian Children

“…Furthermore, cowpeas (CPs; Vigna unguiculata ) are commonly grown in sub-Saharan Africa, where they are considered a staple crop rich in protein, vitamins, and trace minerals including iron and zinc ( 17 , 18 ). The nutrient profiles of the common bean (CB) and CP, especially their high protein and fiber content, show their potential to improve food and nutrition security in this vulnerable population ( 13 , 19 ).…”

Mycological evaluation of the phylloplane of <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp

“…Cowpea as a pulse crop is of major importance to the livelihoods of millions of relatively poor people in less developed countries (Inaizumi et al, 1999;Abizari et al, 2013). It is valued because it is highly nutritious, has the ability to tolerate drought and also has the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen allowing it grow and improve on soil with poor fertility (Senff et al, 1992).…”

“…The protein present in cowpea consists of 90% water soluble globulin and 10% water soluble albumins. Cowpea is also a good source of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamins and carotene (Adedire and Akinneye, 2003;Abizari et al, 2013). According to FAO, about 3.32 million metric tonnes of cowpea dry grains were produced worldwide annually on about 9.8 million hectares, about 9.3 million hectares of these in West Africa.…”