Promotion of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato Increased Vitamin A Intakes and Reduced the Odds of Low Retinol-Binding Protein among Postpartum Kenyan Women

Abstract

Background: Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) improves vitamin A (VA) status of young children; research with pregnant and lactating women is limited.Objective: We examined the effectiveness of the Mama SASHA (Sweetpotato Action for Security and Health in Africa) program to improve nutrition knowledge, diets, and nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women (PLW) in Western Kenya.Methods: Eight health facilities were allocated to the Mama SASHA intervention or comparison arms. PLW in intervention facilities received enhanced nutrition counseling at health clinics, were linked with community-based maternal support groups, and received vouchers for OFSP vine cuttings. Control PLW received clinic-based nutrition counseling only. A total of 505 women in early and midpregnancy, attending their first antenatal care visit, and with no previous engagement in project activities were enrolled from the 8 facilities. Nutrition and health-seeking knowledge, food security, dietary patterns, and anthropometric measurements were collected at 4 time points at ≤9 mo postpartum. VA intakes were assessed with multipass 24-h recalls in a subsample of 206 mothers at 8–10 mo postpartum. VA status was assessed by using serum retinol-binding protein (RBP). Impacts were estimated with multilevel mixed models adjusted for clustering and differences at enrollment.Results: At enrollment, 22.9% of women had RBP <1.17 μmol/L. By 9 mo postpartum, intervention women had significantly higher intakes of VA [adjusted difference = 297.0 retinol activity equivalent (RAE) units; 95% CI: 82, 513 RAE units; P = 0.01; n = 206], greater consumption of VA-rich fruit and vegetables in the previous 7 d (difference-in-difference estimate: 0.40 d; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.56 d; P < 0.01), and a 45% reduction in the odds of RBP <1.17 μmol/L (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.92; P = 0.01).Conclusion: Promotion of OFSP to PLW through health services is a feasible strategy to improve women’s nutrition knowledge, VA intakes, and maternal RBP.

Review on nutritional composition of orange‐fleshed sweet potato and its role in management of vitamin A deficiency

“…OFSP tubers are considered as an significant dietary resource of VAC and NPVAC (Mohammad, Ziaul, & Sheikh, 2016). OFSP is appreciated due to the VA contribution and role in VAD eradication in developing countries (Girard et al, 2017;Kurabachew, 2015;Van Jaarsveld et al, 2005). Due to the many positive aspects related to agriculture, nutritional security and food security are resulted in intensified research on OFSP in present decade to augment its production and consumption in different countries.…”

A scoping review of social‐behaviour change techniques applied in complementary feeding interventions

“…Twenty‐two interventions occurred in sub‐Saharan Africa (Aidam et al, n.d.; Aubel, Touré, & Diagne, ; Alive and Thrive Ethiopia, ; Berti, Mildon, Siekmans, Main, & Macdonald, ; Bruyeron, Denizeau, Berger, & Trèche, ; Chiutsi‐Phiri et al, ; Crossman et al, ; Fernald et al, ; Gelli et al, ; Gelli et al, ; Guyon et al, ; Harris et al, ; Kim et al, ; Kimani‐Murage et al, ; Kulwa et al, ; Leroy, Olney, & Ruel, ; Mukuria, Martin, Egondi, Bingham, & Thuita, ; Mulualem, Henry, Berhanu, & Whiting, ; Nikiema et al, ; Olney, Pedehombga, Ruel, & Dillon, ; Parvanta, Thomas, & Zaman, ; Sarrassat et al, ; Save the Children, ; Webb Girard et al, ; Alive and Thrive, 2016) and 11 in Bangladesh (Aboud & Akhter, ; Aboud, Moore, & Akhter, ; Aboud, Shafique, & Akhter, ; Frongillo et al, ; Hoddinott, Ahmed, Ahmed, & Roy, ; Kimmons et al, ; Owais et al, ; Parvanta et al, ; Roy et al, ; Roy et al, ; TANGO International, ). Of the remaining, nine occurred in India (Alive & Thrive India, n.d.; Bhandari et al, ; Bhandari et al, ; Dongre, Deshmukh, & Garg, ; Kadiyala, Morgan, Cyriac, Margolies, & Roopnaraine, ; Kilaru, Griffiths, Ganapathy, & Ghosh, ; Palwala et al, ; Singh et al, ; Vazir et al, ) and eight Central/South American or Mexico (Bonvecchio, Pelto, Escalante, & Monterrubio, ; de Oliveira, Giugliani, Santo, & Nunes, ; Iannotti et al, ; Jensen, Frongillo, Leroy, & Blake, ; Leroy et al, ; Monterrosa et al, ; Penny et al, ; Santos et al, ).…”

Analysis of micronutrients variations among sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) genotypes in Malawi

“…However, levels of -carotene in Zondeni, A45 and other orange fleshed genotypes in the study (Table 3), fall far short of what is considered high by the International Potato Centre (CIP, 2005) (100 g/1 g of fresh tissue). Nevertheless, the genotypes can make considerable contribution towards addressing vitamin A deficiency (VAD) whose incidences are worrisome in Africa including Malawi (Hotz et al, 2011;Shisana et al, 2013;Girard et al, 2017). Isolation and identification of genotypes with high level of -carotene is important for effective choice of parents in breeding improved varieties with higher -carotene levels (Vimala et al, 2012;Kiarie et al, 2016;Naidoo et al, 2016).…”

“…There is an emergent recognition of sweet potato as a cheap produce for combating food insecurity and micronutrient malnutrition worldwide (Yamakawa and Yashimoto, 2002;Hotz et al, 2012;Girard et al, 2017) Chipungu et al 23…”

“…There is an emergent recognition of sweet potato as a cheap produce for combating food insecurity and micronutrient malnutrition worldwide (Yamakawa and Yashimoto, 2002;Hotz et al, 2012;Girard et al, 2017) because sweet potato is a renowned important source of carbohydrates, vitamins (A, C, D and E), fiber, iron, potassium, zinc, copper and protein (Woolfe, 1992;Low et al, 2009;Sreekanth et al, 2010;Hotz et al, 2012). However, variability of micronutrients with genotypes of sweet potato has been reported widely (Woolfe, 1992;Abubakar et al, 2010;Meludu, 2010;Sunette, 2010), therefore there is need to ascertain the levels of various micronutrients in different genotypes grown by farmers in Malawi.…”