Seasonal variation in the dietary sources of energy for pregnant women in Lungwena, rural Malawi

Abstract

We conducted a nutritional survey to describe monthly variation in food consumption among subsistence farmers in Malawi, Southeastern Africa. Of special interest was the identification of foods whose intake changes contributed most to the seasonal fluctuation of overall energy intake. For this purpose, dietary intakes of 593 pregnant women were analysed with 24-h recall methodology. Mean daily energy intakes varied from 1520 kcal/woman in February (rainy season) to 2250 kcal/woman in April (post-harvest period). On average, maize provided two-thirds (63%) of the energy. Other important sources were roots and tubers (11%), fish (5%), fruit (4%), legumes (4%) and vegetables (3%). The rainy season decrease in energy intakes was associated with a marked reduction in the consumption of roots and tubers, fruit, legumes and vegetables. Storage of selected food items and development of agricultural market could alleviate nutritional problems associated with climatic seasonality in rural Malawi.

Impact of lipid‐based nutrient supplements and corn–soy blend on energy and nutrient intake among moderately underweight 8–18‐month‐old children participating in a clinical trial

“…This is a modified version of the 24‐h recall and was used to quantify dietary intakes among pregnant women and 3–4‐year‐old children in Lungwena (Ndekha et al . ; Maleta et al . ).…”

Effects of a participatory agriculture and nutrition education project on child growth in northern Malawi

“…Smallholder farmers in Malawi, as elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, struggle with limited landholdings, diverse and complex agro-ecosystems and high poverty rates (10,11) . Child malnutrition rates in Malawi have been high (almost 50 % stunting) for over two decades and are attributed to multiple causes, including low dietary diversity, high rates of poverty and unequal status for women (12)(13)(14)(15) .…”

“…Child malnutrition rates in Malawi have been high (almost 50 % stunting) for over two decades and are attributed to multiple causes, including low dietary diversity, high rates of poverty and unequal status for women (12)(13)(14)(15) . The primary staple crop in Malawi is maize, which makes up over half of the total energy in the diet (11,12) . Maize is high-yielding under optimal conditions but requires more nutrients for growth compared to other staple crops, and does not perform well in nutrient-or water-limited environments.…”

The impact of lipid-based nutrient supplement provision to pregnant women on newborn size in rural Malawi: a randomized controlled trial

“…Because energy intakes among the target women were assumed to be mostly sufficient but nutrient intakes insufficient (13), we designed a small-quantity LNS (SQ-LNS) that provides only a limited amount of energy (118 kcal/d) but would fortify regular home diets with a full complement of micronutrients and essential fatty acids at a palatable and relatively affordable daily dose of 20 g (14). To facilitate comparison to other recommended antenatal nutritional supplementation schemes, we included 2 control groups, one given iron and folic acid (IFA) and the other given MMNs but no essential fatty acids, sufficient intake of which is considered critical for good pregnancy outcomes (15).…”