An Integrated Microcredit, Entrepreneurial Training, and Nutrition Education Intervention Is Associated with Better Growth Among Preschool-Aged Children in Rural Ghana  

Oleh:

Marquis, Grace S. ; Colecraft, Esi K ; Sakyi-Dawson, Owuraku ; Lartey, Anna ; Ahunu, Ben K

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: JN: The Journal of Nutrition vol. 145 no. 02 (Feb. 2015), page 335-343.
Topik: animal source foods; diet; growth; nutrition education; preschool children

Ketersediaan

Perpustakaan FK Nomor Panggil: J42.K Non-tandon: 1 (dapat dipinjam: 0) Tandon: tidak ada

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Isi artikel

Background: Poor diet quality is a determinant of the high prevalence rates of malnutrition in Ghana. There is little evidence on the effectiveness of a multisector intervention to improve children’s diets and nutritional status. Objective: The project tested whether participation in an entrepreneurial and nutrition education intervention with microcredit was associated with the nutritional status of children 2–5 y of age. Methods: A quasi-experimental 16-mo intervention was conducted with microcredit loans and weekly sessions of nutrition and entrepreneurship education for 179 women with children 2–5 y of age [intervention group (IG)]. Nonparticipating women and their children from the same villages (nonparticipant, n = 142) and from similar neighboring villages (comparison, n = 287) were enrolled. Repeated measures linear regression models were used first to examine children’s weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), and body mass index–for-age (BAZ) z scores at baseline and at 4 follow-up time points ~4 mo apart. Time, intervention status, time-by-intervention interaction terms, region of residence, household wealth rank, household head occupation, number of children <5 y of age, and child sex and age were included. Results: There was a significant interaction between the IG and time for BAZ (P = 0.02) with significant Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons between the IG and comparison group (CG) at 8 mo (difference of 0.36 ± 0.09 z score, P < 0.0001). The WAZ group difference was significant between 4 and 16 mo (P = 0.01 for interaction) and peaked at 8–12 mo (differences of ~0.28 z). The HAZ of children in the IG was significantly higher than that in the CG, reaching a 0.19 z difference at 16 mo (P < 0.05). When the fixed effects models were fitted in sensitivity analyses, some group anthropometric differences were of lower magnitude but remained significant. Conclusion: An integrated package of microcredit and education may improve nutritional outcomes of children living in poor, rural communities.

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