Supplementary Feeding and Nutritional Status of Pre-school Children 4-5 Years Old from Busia County Kenya

Abstract

Poor quality diet is the most immediate factor responsible for malnutrition and ill health among school going children in many developing countries, including Kenya. The aim of the study was to evaluate effect of soybean fortified porridge on nutritional status of pre-school children at Igero Primary School, Busia County. The flour blends developed and used in making supplement porridges were; maize:soybean 70:30, sorghum:soybean 70:30, sorghum: maize:soybean 45:25:30 and 100% maize flour (control). A longitudinal survey and Complete Randomized Design experiment were employed. The 235 childeren enrolled in pre-school at the beginning of the study were randomized into four groups and the four types of porridge randomly allocated to the groups. Pre-school children were fed for a period of six months with approximately 350ml of porridge daily, Monday to Friday while in school. Anthropometric measurements were taken at baseline, every month for 6 months and at 9 th month. From the study results, there was significant (p < 0.05) reduction in prevalence of underweight and wasting, from 33.6% to 15.5% and from 28.5% to 10.8% respectively, among children fed on soybean fortified porridges by the end of intervention. However change in underweight and wasting among children fed on unfortified 100% maize flour porridge was not significant (p>0.05). The group fed on maize:soybean, sorghum:soybean and sorghum:maize:soybean blends gained mean weight of 2.83kg, 1.88kg and 2.19kg respectively by the end of study. Results on nutritional status assessment 3 months later when porridge was withdrawn showed that, 31.5% and 28.3% of children became underweight and wasted respectively. In conclusion, soybean fortified porridges improved the nutritional status of children. It is recommended that maize-soybean or sorghum-soybean blends be used in preparing 10 o'clock porridge in schools to enhance nutritional status of pre-school children.