MSCNPT / Department of Nutrition / Context: A survey made worldwide (including South Africa) revealed that most teenagers are overweight and obese and that they eat little nutritious food. Obesity and overweight are public health problems and need to be addressed from a community perspective. The reason for exploring this problem in this study was that South Africa has one of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the world among urban and rural black women. Objective: Investigating the eating and lifestyle habits of overweight and obese female teenagers in Thulamela Local Municipality, Limpopo province, South Africa. Design, setting and participants: This was an exploratory, descriptive study conducted in 2006–2007 amongst 125 female teenagers aged 13 to 18 years from rural schools in Thulamela Local Municipality. A hundred and twenty-five questionnaires were completed and data were gathered on the demographics, social and lifestyle habits, nutrition-related problems, dietary patterns and dietary history of the participants. Measurements: Eating and lifestyle habits, physical activity, meaning of healthy and unhealthy dietary habits, weight, height and body mass index were measured. Results: Seventy percent of the respondents actively consumed three meals in a day, 83% consumed starchy snacks between meals, whilst 72% of the respondents carried lunchboxes to school. Regarding lifestyle habits, 88% of the respondents slept more hours than recommended (8 hours) 88% performed sedentary activities and 66% did physical activities such as walking. Conclusion: The results pointed out unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits influencing teenagers’ weight. Identified factors must be considered in order to develop tailored nutrition interventions to improve teenagers’ consciousness about adopting a healthy lifestyle. / NRF

MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science / Malnutrition is globally considered the key risk factors of illness and death which affect over 90 million children under the age of five. The study aim was to determine the perception of caregivers regarding factors contributing to malnutrition in children under 5 years in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo province. A qualitative approach, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used in the study. Nine participants were sampled through simple random sampling. Data was collected through in- depth individual interview and was analysed through Tesch‘s analytical approach. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical consideration were adhered to throughout the study. Three themes emerged from study, namely: caregivers perceived contributory factors to malnutrition, financial difficulties and help that were sought from various available resources. In conclusion, feeding practices to most of the participants was a challenge, they had financial difficulties since they were not working and depended on social and child grants for living, and the study recommends the development of strategies to assist caregivers in preventing malnutrition in children. / NRF

MSCAGR (Agricultural Economics) / Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness / ABSTRACT This study was carried out to determine how members of households perceive economic benefits of production and marketing of Moringa in the Thulamela Local Municipality. The study adopted the snowball sampling procedure to identify the population of members of households who produce and market Moringa. Simple random sampling procedure was adopted to select 146 participants from the identified population. The Cross tabulations and Probit regression model were used as the analytical tools for this study. The results of the study revealed amongst others, that majority of members of households who were producing Moringa had no access to Moringa markets, and most of them were aware of the economic benefits of Moringa. The statistical significant variables which influenced the perceptions of members of households regarding economic benefits of production and marketing of Moringa were level of education (p < 0.01), Moringa farming experience (p < 0.05), access to market (p < 0.05), as well as the access to information (p < 0.05) about the production and the demand of Moringa produce. The study concluded that majority of respondents perceived that the production and marketing of Moringa would help to achieve sustainable livelihood for people living in Thulamela Local Municipality, while others were of the view that Moringa has the potential to improve nutrition, boost food security and foster rural development. The study recommended that establishment of Moringa markets, formation of Moringa cooperatives and promotional campaigns to educate members of households about the economic benefits of Moringa should be enhanced. / NRF

MSCPNT / Department of Nutrition / Introduction: Nutrition education is the change process whereby beliefs, attitudes, environmental influences, and understanding about food lead to nutrition practices that are scientifically sound, practical, and consistent with individual needs and available resources Design and Methods: The purpose of this study was to assess the nutrition knowledge of educators in Makhuduthamaga municipality, Limpopo Province. Quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory research was conducted to determine the factors that influence the nutrition knowledge of educators and explore the relationship between factors and nutrition knowledge. The simple random sampling technique was employed to select 200 educators in grades 4, 5, and 6. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. The data was analysed using the statistical package for social science (SPSS), version 21. Results and Discussion: Of the educators who participated in the study, 66.5% were female, and 33.5% were males. Almost all (94%) of the educators were trained at a college and had teaching experience of between 21-30 years. Most of the educators (60.5%) had a diploma, while 0.5% had a master’s degree. Almost one third of educators indicated that children should eat three (3) times during the day, and 32% identified the important meals as breakfast, lunch, and supper. Most (36.5%) failed to give reasons why children should not skip meals. In terms of basic food and nutrition, majority of the educators (75%, 67%, 56%, and 55.5%) responded correctly on the importance of carbohydrates, fat, vegetables, and fruits, respectively. Only a quarter (26%) knew the importance of protein, while 75.5% knew that protein forms part of a balanced diet. Most of the educators knew the rich sources of vitamin A and fibre but did not know the rich sources of iron, iodine, and vitamin C. There was no significant difference between the level of education and nutrition knowledge (p= 0.129), and between training institution and nutrition knowledge (p= 0.534). Conclusion: The need to train educators on nutrition was one of the main recommendations that emanated from many research projects. Most educators mentioned that training and level of education were of the factors that affected their nutrition knowledge. Nutrition knowledge is becoming increasingly important in food choices and in this study educators acknowledged that training affected their nutrition knowledge. / NRF

A high rate of micronutrient deficiencies persists in Africa with the most vulnerable groups being women and children. The Moringa oleifera tree has been identified to help alleviate malnutrition at household level because of its rich content of vitamin A in its plant form - beta-carotene, iron and vitamin C. The objectives of this study was to identify households that consumed Moringa, to identify households that required diet diversification through the use of a Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and to determine the acceptability of various dishes prepared from Moringa leaves as a possible contribution to the alleviation of malnutrition in resource poor communities. The dietary diversity score of the traditional Bapedi community is 4.7 and the results of the acceptability test of dishes prepared with Moringa indicated that Moringa could be recommended as an additional food ingredient to add micronutrient to the diet of Bapedi communities. / Agriculture and Environmental Sciences / M.A. (Human Ecology)

This study evaluates the school feeding programme at Magog Primary School. It sets out as its objective to find out how the programme operates and its potential impact on school children, including challenges, if any, and recommends solutions to mitigate the challenges. It was motivated by the need to provide information which could be used as a basis to ensure that the nutritional and educational objectives of the National School Nutritional Programme are achieved. A review of literature demonstrated that, within the developmental framework, the point of view of civil society, government and the academia on the school feeding programmes are a valuable strategy to intervene in the nutritional and cognitive development of learners. It also made it evident that there are diverse views as to whether the School Feeding Programme is achieving its intended objectives. The findings of this study suggest that, although the programme has the potential to improve nutrition and health, enrolment, attendance and cognitive development, there are still some challenges and areas that need to be addressed and improved. These challenges arise as a result of lack of effective monitoring and evaluation, geographical location of the schools and other implementation flaws. The consequences are that the objectives of the National School Nutritional Programme are placed at risk. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and moringa (Moringa oleifera) are nutritious and medicinal vegetables, but could also harbor harmful microbial contaminants. The main aim of the project was to determine the effect of each processing techniques on the microbiology, proximate nutrients and shelf life of these vegetables to produce nutritious, tasty, safe and long lasting vegetable products. The processing techniques used were: washing, blanching, and drying. Leaf samples were collected at each stage of processing and were analysed for total viable count, coliform count, yeast and mould count and nutritional content. Microbial plate analysis showed the presence, particularly on cowpea leaves, of yeasts and bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Staphylococci, Streptococci, and enterobacter including enteropathogens such as Salmonella spp., Shigella dysenteriae and E coli. The presence of E.coli on the leaves was also confirmed using polymerase chain reaction-amplified ribosomal DNA analysis. The most effective processing technique which reduced microbial load to below SABS standards while retaining nutritional quality was the washing of the leaves twice with tap water followed by steam tunnel blanching at 94oC for 12 minutes. Oven drying the leaves at 60oC gave satisfactory and extended shelf life results. Proximate analysis comparison of the two leaf types showed that on average moringa leaves contained more ash (2.37 vs 1.1 g), protein (6,9 vs 3,6 g), fat (0,41 vs 0.2 g) and energy (305,1 vs 70KJ) but less dietary fibre (0,9 vs 7,5 g) than cowpea leaves. No significant differences were noted in these values following washing and steam blanching. These results indicate that washing of these leaves is effective as to reducing microbial load and maintaining proximate values in the short term (up to 4 days) but that oven drying is effective for longer-term storage. / Life and Consumer Sciences / M. Sc. (Life Sciences)

Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Magister Technologiae: Consumer Science Food and Nutrition, Durban University of Technology, 2011. / Nutrition plays a fundamental role in the care and support of people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and children in particular are affected by HIV and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in Africa in various ways. The epidemic puts children at risk physically, psychologically and economically. Children are indirectly affected by HIV and AIDS when the epidemic has a negative impact on their communities and the services these communities provide. Undernutrition is a major problem in HIV-positive children in South Africa with severe malnutrition as a common finding in HIV-positive children. HIV contributes to an increased incidence and severity of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency. Low serum levels of vitamins A, E, B6, B12 and C, betacarotene, selenium, zinc, copper and iron deficiencies are frequently documented during all stages of HIV-infection. Malnutrition in turn further weakens the immune system which increases the susceptibility to infections and the duration and the severity of infections. Thus, the immune response is less effective and less vigorous when an individual is undernourished. Although guidelines exist for the treatment and management of HIV-infected children, it is clear from the literature that exceptional measures are needed to ensure the health and well-being of the children are met. Furthermore, residential care should not only be considered as a last resort for children’s care, but also as an intervention that requires more than merely addressing children’s basic physical needs. Nutrition education has been utilised globally and in South Africa to address nutrition related problems. The main purpose of nutrition education is to provide individuals with adequate and accurate information, skills and motivation to buy, produce and consume the correct foods to stay healthy and lead an active life. Aim The purpose of this study was to develop reliable and valid nutrition education material for the child care workers (CCWs) of Immune Compromised children vi resident in Children’s Homes in the Durban area in order to maintain the child’s immune system and to optimise their quality of life. Methodology The FAO framework used for planning, implementing and evaluating a nutrition education programme was followed to develop the nutrition education material in this study. Phase I included a situational analysis of the children homes involved. The residential care settings that participated in this study included three Children’s Homes in Durban. The total purposive sample included: boys (5–19 years) n = 112, girls (5–19 years) n = 38 and CCWs n = 40. The sample of HIV-positive children included boys (5–19 years) n = 3 and girls (5– 19 years) n = 6. The physical measurements obtained for this study to determine nutritional status were weight and height. The anthropometric measurements were captured and analysed by the researcher using the World Health Organisation’s AnthroPlus version 1.0.2. Statistical software. The following indices were included: height-for-age (stunting), weight-for-age (underweight) and BMI-for-age (overweight and wasting). The WHO growth standards for school-aged children and adolescents were used to compare the anthropometric indicators. Dietary intake measurements were done by analysing the cycle menus by means of the Food Finder® Version 3 computer software program and comparing the results with the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), specifically the EAR and AI where the EAR were not available. The data were analysed to determine the adequacy of energy and nutrient intake. Average portion sizes were established by the plate waste studies method as well as observation of practices, interviews with the central buyer and focus group discussions with the CCWs. Nutrition knowledge of the CCWs was determined by a self-administered questionnaire developed and tested for reliability and validity. The problems identified in Phase I through the implementation of the questionnaires and other methods directed the design of messages in Phase II. Once suitable media was selected, nutrition education material was developed based on existing guidelines pertaining to HIV and AIDS. The material developed was then tested for reliability and validity before it was produced. vii Results The anthropometric measurements indicated that the majority of the HIV-negative boys and girls were of normal height-for-age and weight-for-age. The results also showed that possible risk of overweight and overweight were more prevalent in girls whereas underweight was more prevalent in boys. Furthermore, the results indicated that a third (33.0%) of the HIV-positive children were stunted and 16.7% was severely stunted. Findings of the menu analysis indicated that both girls and boys consumed three times more carbohydrates than the recommended intake. The DRIs for girls and boys were met for energy and protein in all the age groups except boys aged 14-18 years did not meet the DRI for energy. However, the comparison of the actual intake of the macro nutrients with the WHO guidelines indicated that the protein (10.78%) and carbohydrate (58.07%) is within the recommendations of 10- 15% and 55–75% respectively. This comparison also showed that the total fat intake of 31.15% was above the recommended intake of 15-30%. None of the age groups met the DRIs for fibre. The comparison of the intake with the WHO guidelines also indicated that the total dietary fibre intake was only 19.67g/day and not 27–40g/day. The actual fruit and vegetable intake was a mere 68.64g/day instead of 400g/day as recommended. None of the groups met the DRIs for calcium and iodine. The results clearly showed that micro nutrient inadequacies were more prevalent in the dietary intake of age groups 9-13 and 14-18 years in both girls and boys. Inadequate intake of magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenate, biotin, vitamin E and vitamin K were evident in the age group 14-18 year. Overall, it is evident from the results on nutrition knowledge that although the respondents’ knowledge was fair on general nutrition guidelines, the results of the nutrition knowledge questionnaire indicated that knowledge on the importance of a variety in the diet is lacking. The CCWs displayed a very poor knowledge of the recommended number of fruit and vegetable portions per day as well as correct serving sizes of vegetable portions. A very poor knowledge also existed regarding the role of healthy eating in maintaining and supporting the immune system and a limited knowledge on correct hygiene practices was noted. The fridge magnets developed included five messages relating to nutrition and four messages relating to food safety and hygiene. viii Conclusion This study established that malnutrition is apparent in the children’s homes and that there were many gaps in the nutrition knowledge of the CCWs. These gaps included the role of good nutrition in the support and maintenance of the immune system and the importance of adequate intake of fruit and vegetables daily. The NEM developed in this study will address these gaps.

This study evaluates the school feeding programme at Magog Primary School. It sets out as its objective to find out how the programme operates and its potential impact on school children, including challenges, if any, and recommends solutions to mitigate the challenges. It was motivated by the need to provide information which could be used as a basis to ensure that the nutritional and educational objectives of the National School Nutritional Programme are achieved. A review of literature demonstrated that, within the developmental framework, the point of view of civil society, government and the academia on the school feeding programmes are a valuable strategy to intervene in the nutritional and cognitive development of learners. It also made it evident that there are diverse views as to whether the School Feeding Programme is achieving its intended objectives. The findings of this study suggest that, although the programme has the potential to improve nutrition and health, enrolment, attendance and cognitive development, there are still some challenges and areas that need to be addressed and improved. These challenges arise as a result of lack of effective monitoring and evaluation, geographical location of the schools and other implementation flaws. The consequences are that the objectives of the National School Nutritional Programme are placed at risk. / Development Studies / M. A. (Development Studies)

A high rate of micronutrient deficiencies persists in Africa with the most vulnerable groups being women and children. The Moringa oleifera tree has been identified to help alleviate malnutrition at household level because of its rich content of vitamin A in its plant form - beta-carotene, iron and vitamin C. The objectives of this study was to identify households that consumed Moringa, to identify households that required diet diversification through the use of a Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and to determine the acceptability of various dishes prepared from Moringa leaves as a possible contribution to the alleviation of malnutrition in resource poor communities. The dietary diversity score of the traditional Bapedi community is 4.7 and the results of the acceptability test of dishes prepared with Moringa indicated that Moringa could be recommended as an additional food ingredient to add micronutrient to the diet of Bapedi communities. / Agriculture and Environmental Sciences / M.A. (Human Ecology)