The HealthKick Study: Modifiable Lifestyle Factors in Primary Caregivers of Primary School Learners from Two School Districts in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

Caregivers of children in the HK study population presented with a large number of modifiable health risk behaviors. These results highlight the importance of engaging caregivers, as part of a whole school intervention, to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

The Food Environment of Primary School Learners in a Low-to-Middle-Income Area in Cape Town, South Africa

“…The questionnaire was composed of two sections which included a total of 18 questions. The first section consisted of nine sociodemographic questions which were derived from a previous study [45]. Food security was assessed by the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project (CCHIP) index which is composed of questions regarding householdlevel food insecurity (three items), individual-level food insecurity (one item) and child hunger (four items) [46].…”

Assessment of the association between plant-based dietary exposures and cardiovascular disease risk profile in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review

“…Included studies originated from 12 countries across SSA: ( n = 1) Kenya [ 44 ], ( n = 1) Botswana [ 52 ], ( n = 1) Zambia [ 42 ], ( n = 1) Ghana [ 48 ], ( n = 1) Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) [ 50 ], ( n = 1) Ethiopia [ 53 ], ( n = 3) Tanzania [ 43 , 45 , 47 ], and ( n = 7) South Africa [ 39 – 41 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 51 ]. One study [ 47 ] had four recruitment sites namely Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, and Uganda.…”

“…In addition to this, five African countries namely Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, and Uganda participated in a multi-country study [ 39 ]. According to the World Bank data [ 54 ], 2 of the 12 SSA countries are classified as upper middle income [ 40 , 41 , 46 , 49 , 51 , 52 ], 6 are low-to-middle income [ 42 – 45 , 47 , 48 , 50 ], and 4 are low-income countries [ 39 , 47 , 53 ]. The included studies ( n = 15) were published from the year 2002 to 2020.…”

“…Botswana traditional food pattern: insects (Phane), green leafy vegetables, legumes, and starches. Fast food pattern Refined carbohydrate pattern Organ and red meat pattern Overweight: BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 Darebo 2019 [ 53 ] Cross-sectional Ethiopia, (Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples) 524 230 males 294 females Age range: 18 to 64 years Fruits and vegetables frequency of consumption (e.g., 3–6 times/week) Sweets, fast foods, meat, and egg Overweight: BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 Gradidge 2018 [ 51 ] Cross-sectional South Africa, (Gauteng) 110 Only females Mean age: 21.4 ± 3.29 years Weekly food purchases of vegetables, salads, and fruits Fish, meats, and fried foods Overweight: BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 de Villiers 2018 [ 41 ] Cross-sectional South Africa, (Western Cape) 175 20 males 155 females Median age: Men 36 years Women 39 years Frequency of consumption of fruit and vegetables, brown bread, legumes, and high fibre cereals (e.g., times/day) White bread and starches, High-fat foods, energy-dense snacks/items, and processed food Overweight: BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 Holmes 2018 [ 47 ] Cross-sectional Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, and Uganda 738 294 males 444 females Mean age: Men 38.6 ± 13.4 years Women 38.8 ± 13.0 years Mixed dietary pattern: vegetables, fruits, cereals, nuts, beans, tea, diet soda, fruit juice, fresh fish, cold cuts, salad dressing, canned fish, and refined grains. Processed dietary pattern Overweight: BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 Obesity: BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 Otang-Mbeng 2017 [ 40 ] Cross-sectional South Africa, (Eastern Cape) 118 54 males 64 females Age range: 21 to 70 years …”

“…One study reported on the assessment of six indicator food categories of which 3 met the criteria of our dietary exposure; the categories comprised of healthy plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes. These indicator food categories were identified using a food frequency questionnaire [ 41 ].…”