Objetivo: analisar o consumo alimentar de energia, macronutrientes e ácidos graxos, de gestantes com insuficiência placentária, comparando com gestantes sem esta complicação obstétrica. Métodos: Estudo prospectivo, transversal e caso-controle realizado no período de fevereiro de 2012 a setembro de 2013, que incluiu gestantes que preencheram os seguintes critérios: gestação com feto único e vivo; idade gestacional superior a 26 semanas completas; diagnóstico de insuficiência placentária caracterizada pelo exame de Doppler de artéria umbilical com índice de pulsatilidade acima do p95; morfologia fetal normal ao exame de ultrassonografia; ausência de diagnóstico de diabetes; não suplementação pré-natal com ácidos graxos. Foram adotados os seguintes critérios de exclusão: diagnóstico pós-natal de anomalia do recém-nascido. O estado nutricional da gestante foi avaliado pelo índice de massa corporal (IMC) e o consumo dietético foi investigado pela aplicação do questionário de frequência alimentar, analisado pelo programa Avanutri Revolution versão 4.0, pelo qual se obteve o consumo de energia, macronutrientes (carboidratos, proteínas e lipídios) e de ácidos graxos (saturados, poli-insaturados e monoinsaturados). Foram analisados os valores absolutos obtidos e a % do valor energético total (VET) da dieta. Resultados: Foram incluídas 21 gestantes no grupo com insuficiência placentária e 21 gestantes no grupo controle. Não se constatou diferença na mediana do IMC na comparação entre os grupos (grupo estudo=26,5 kg/m2, grupo controle=28,0kg/m2; P=0,563). Houve diferença significativa na comparação do grupo com insuficiência placentária com o grupo controle na análise do consumo alimentar de: energia (2002 kcal vs. 1515 kcal, p= 0,021). Com relação ao consumo de ácidos graxos, houve diferença significativa na comparação da % do VET entre os grupos com insuficiência placentária e controle: saturados (11,5% vs. 9,3%; p=0,043); poli saturados (2,7% vs. 3,6%; p=0,029); monoinsaturados (1,2 % vs. 2,1%; p= 0,005). Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas na qualidade da dieta entre os grupos quanto ao consumo avaliado de acordo com a % do VET: carboidratos (51,5% vs. 51,8%; p= 0,831); proteínas (15,3% vs. 16,1%; p= 0,458); lipídios totais (37,8% vs. 33,0%; p=0,831). Conclusão: Gestantes com o diagnóstico de insuficiência placentária relatam consumo alimentar diferente de gestantes que não apresentam esse diagnóstico, com dieta de ácidos graxos com qualidade inferior, notadamente com maior consumo de ácidos graxos saturados, e menor consumo de poli-insaturados e monoinsaturados, além de maior consumo de energia / Objective: To analyze the dietary intake of energy, macronutrients and fatty acids of pregnant women with placental insufficiency, and to compare with pregnant women without this obstetric complication Methods : A prospective, cross-sectional and case -control study from February 2012 to September 2013, which included women who met the following criteria: singleton pregnancy with fetus alive; above 26 weeks gestation; diagnosis of placental insufficiency characterized by umbilical artery Doppler presenting pulsatility index above the p95; normal fetal morphology at ultrasound, absence of diabetes, absence of prenatal supplementation with fatty acids. We used the following exclusion criteria: neonatal diagnosis of malformation. The maternal nutritional status was assessed by body mass index (BMI) and dietary intake was investigated by applying the food frequency questionnaire analyzed by the program Avanutri Revolution version 4.0 , which was obtained by the consumption of energy, macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and lipids) and fatty acids (saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated). We analyzed the absolute values and the % of total energy value (TEV). Results: We included 21 pregnant women in the study group with placental insufficiency and 21 pregnant women in the control group. There was no difference in median BMI between the groups (study group = 26.5 kg/m2, control group = 28.0 kg/m2, P = 0.563). Significant difference was found when the group with placental insufficiency was compared with the control group in food consumption of energy (2002kcal vs. 1515 kcal, p = 0.021). With regard to the consumption of fatty acids, there was a significant difference in the percentages of daily energy intake between the group with placental insufficiency and control group: saturated fatty acids(11.5% vs. . 9.3% , p = 0.043), polyunsaturated fatty acids(2.7 % vs. 3.6% , p = 0.029), monounsaturated fatty acids(1.2% vs. 2.1% , p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in diet quality between the groups regarding the consumption evaluated according to the % of VET: carbohydrates ( 51.5 % vs. 51.8 %, p = 0.831 ), protein (15.3 % vs. 16.1 %, p = 0.458), total fat (37.8 % vs. 33.0 %, p = 0.831) . Conclusion: Pregnant women with the diagnosis of placental insufficiency reported food consumption other than pregnant women who do not have this diagnosis with lower quality of dietary fatty acids consumption, especially with higher intake of saturated fatty acids , and lower intake of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, and greater energy consumption

Information on the present situation of household food insecurity in South Africa is fragmented. There is no comprehensive study comparing different indicators of household food security. Better information on the household food security situation in South Africa would permit relevant policy formulation and better decision-making on the allocation of limited resources. The availability of a national dataset, the first South African National Food Consumption Survey data (1999) , provided the opportunity to investigate some of the issues raised above, and to contribute to knowledge on the measurement of household food security. The aim of this study was to use the data from the 1999 National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) to : • Determine and compare the prevalence of household food insecurity using different indicators of household food security ; • Determine the overlap of households identified as food insecure by the different indicators (i.e. how many of the same households are identified as food insecure); and to • Investigate whether there was any correlation between the indicators selected . The indicators of household food security selected were: household income, household hunger experienced, and using the index child: energy and vitamin A intake (from 24 Hour Recall (24HR) and Quantified Food Frequency data), dietary diversity (from 24HR data) and anthropometric indicators stunting and underweight. The cut offs to determine food insecure household were those used in the NFCS and the cut off for dietary diversity was exploratory. The main results of the study were as follows : • The prevalence estimates of household food insecurity ranged from 10% (underweight indicator) to 70% (low income indicator). Rural areas consistently had a higher prevalence of household food insecurity than urban areas . The Free State and Northern Cape provinces had higher levels of household food insecurity, with the Western Cape and Gauteng the lower levels of household food insecurity . • Quantified Food Frequency (QFF) data yielded lower prevalence of household food insecurity estimates than 24 hour recall (24HR) data. Household food insecurity as determined by low vitamin A intakes was higher than that determined by low energy intakes for both the 24HR and QFF data . • There was little overlap with the indicators (9-52%), indicating that the same households were not being identified by the different indicators. Low dietary diversity, low income, 24HR low vitamin A intake and hunger had higher overlaps with the other indicators. Only 12 of 2826 households (0.4%) were classified by all nine indicators as food insecure. • The dataset revealed a number of statistically significant correlations. Overall , low dietary diversity, low income, 24HR low energy intake and hunger had the stronger correlations with the other indicators. Food security is a complex, multi-dimensional concept, and from the findings of this study there was clearly no single best indicator of household food insecurity status. Overall , the five better performing indicators (higher overlaps and correlations) were : low income, 24 hour recall low energy intake, 24 hour recall low vitamin A intake, low dietary diversity and hunger; this merits their use over the other selected indicators in this study. The indicator selected should be appropriate for the purpose it is being used for, e.g. estimating prevalence of food insecurity versus monitoring the long term impact of an intervention. There are other important criteria in the selection of an indicator. Income data on a national scale has the advantage of being available annually in South Africa, and this saves time and money. The 24HR vitamin A intake and 24HR energy intake indicators has as its main draw back the skill and time needed to collect and analyse the information, which increases cost and decreases sustainability. Dietary diversity and hunger have the advantage of being simple to understand, and quicker and easier to administer and analyse. It is suggested that a national food security monitoring system in South Africa uses more than one indicator, namely : 1) household income from already existing national data, 2) the potential for including a hunger questionnaire in the census should be explored, and 3) when further researched and validated, dietary diversity could also be used in national surveys. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The Integrated Nutrition Programme (INP) was implemented in 1995 to target child malnutrition in South Africa. This study assessed the impact of the INP on child malnutrition by province and age group using secondary data. Data from three national nutrition surveys, conducted in 1994, 1999 and 2005, were used to describe trends in child stunting, underweight, wasting, vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency. The relationship between the prevalence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in prenatal women and child nutritional status; challenges and constraints to implementing the INP at provincial level; and government responses to nutrition recommendations by lead experts in the 1994 and 1999 surveys were also investigated. Child nutritional status varied across provinces. In some provinces such as the Northern Cape, stunting, underweight and wasting remained consistently high. Stunting decreased in the Eastern Cape, but rates of wasting increased between 1994 and 2005. On the other hand, Gauteng and the Western Cape generally had lower rates of malnutrition compared to the other provinces. This may be due to these provinces being the most economically active in the country thus more opportunities for employment and higher purchasing power of foods rich in micronutrients. By 2005, vitamin A deficiency had doubled in most provinces despite mandatory food fortification being implemented in 2003. KwaZulu-Natal had the highest rates of vitamin A deficiency, while Limpopo had the highest rates of iron deficiency. By 2005, malnutrition had decreased in children aged seven to nine years, but had increased in those aged one to three years. There was a significant positive correlation (p<0.01) between the prevalence of HIV in prenatal women and vitamin A deficiency nationally. The prevalence of HIV in prenatal women was positively correlated (p<0.05) with rates of wasting in children aged one to three years. Limited skills, inadequate monitoring and evaluation, and limited infrastructure were common challenges and constraints to implementing the INP at provincial level. The effect of HIV on human resources and the higher demands of HIV infected patients also posed a challenge to provinces as they implemented the INP. Government responded to most recommendations made by nutrition experts. Supplementation,food fortification, growth monitoring and nutrition promotion programmes were implemented. Based on the data, it would appear that INP activities targeted at school-going children were more effective than those targeting children under-five. Although food fortification was implemented in 2003, the vitamin A content of fortified products might not have met legislative requirements. Additionally, because vitamin A is unstable to heat and light, if vitamin A fortified foods are cooked or stored this may also influence the bioavailability of vitamin A. Maternal HIV status might have attenuated child nutrition outcomes due to the negative effect of HIV on related health conditions such as child caring and feeding practices. Some of the challenges and constraints at provincial level might have negatively affected the implementation of the INP and consequently its impact. Although government responded to most recommendations made by nutrition experts, ongoing monitoring and evaluation of child nutritional status were not adequately done, which might have also negatively affected INP outcomes. In addition, factors in the macro-environment such as food inflation and access to basic sanitation, could have lessened the impact of the INP on child malnutrition. Interventions directed at malnutrition in children under-five need to be prioritised. There needs to be rigorous monitoring of micronutrient content, especially vitamin A, of fortified foods. Future studies need to include assessment of nutritional status in HIV affected and infected children to help identify specific needs and develop appropriate policies. Frequent nutrition surveillance to assess key child malnutrition indicators is required. / Thesis (M.Sc.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Text in English with abstracts in English, isiXhosa and isiZulu / Mother’s nutrition knowledge, one of the guiding factors in developing children’s healthy eating patterns, has received relatively little research attention. This study determines the influence of demographic factors on mothers’ nutritional knowledge in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Quantitative, exploratory descriptive survey used group administrative questionnaire. Closed and open ended questions solicited data in 350 purposely and conveniently selected respondents. SSPS 26.0 Version analysed the data and Factor Analysis summarized for easy interpretation. Although SA FBDG are based on the current consumption of locally available foods, respondents were largely unaware of this tool. Mothers receive informal education on Dietary Guidelines from health centres, but no one knows the extent to which they understand and apply the information. There is general lack of correlation between nutrition knowledge and its application. Mothers require nutrition education and practical application of FBDG to improve their and children’s nutrition security. / Luncinane kwaye alukho nzulu uphando olukhe lwenziwa ngolwazi lomzalikazi ngendlela yokondla. Olu lwazi yenye yeenqobo zokukhokela isiqhelo sokutya ngokunempilo. Esi sifundo senziwe eMthatha, kwiMpuma Koloni yoMzantsi Afrika kwaye siqwalasela ifuthe leempawu zesimo soluntu kulwazi lomzalikazi ngendlela yokondla. Uphando lwenziwe ngokuqwalasela ulwazi olufunyenwe kubantu abaninzi ngokunika amaqela abantu uludwe lwemibuzo. Imibuzo enempendulo ethe gca (evalekileyo) okanye enempendulo exhomekeke kwizimvo zomntu (evulekileyo) yabuzwa kubantu abangama-350 ababekhethwe ngobuchule. Iinkcukacha zolwazi zahlalutywa ngokusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe beSSPS 26.0 lwaze uhlalutyo olwaziwa ngokuba yiFactor Analysis lwashwankathela ukuze ulwazi olufunyenweyo lutolikeke lula. Nangona isikhokelo sendlela yokutya esaziwa ngokuba yiSouth Africa food-based dietary guidelines (SA FBDG) sisekelwe kukutya okufumanekayo endaweni, abathathi nxaxheba abaninzi kolu phando babengazi nto ngesi sikhokelo. Abazalikazi bafumana imfundo engekho sesikweni ngesikhokelo sendlela yokutya kumaziko empilo, kodwa akukho mntu waziyo ukuba bayiqonda kangakanani, beyilandela kangakanani loo nto bayifundiswayo. Kukho ukungahambelani okuxhaphakileyo eluntwini phakathi kolwazi ngendlela yokutya nokulusebenzisa olo lwazi. Abazalikazi badinga ukufundiswa ngendlela yokutya nokusebenzisa isikhokelo iFBDG ukuze baphucule indlela yokutya bona nabantwana babo ngokukhuselekileyo. / Lusathole ukunakwa okuncane kakhulu kwezocwaningo ulwazi lukamama mayelana nokudla okunomsoco, okungenye yezinto eziqondisayo ekuthuthukiseni izindlela zokudla okunempilo ezinganeni. Lolu cwaningo luzocubungula futhi luhlonze umthelela wezimo zenhlalo ezigabeni zabantu abahlukahlukene olwazini lomama mayelana nokudla okunomsoco eMthatha esifundazweni saseMpumalanga Koloni eNingizimu Afrika. Ucwaningokuhlola (isaveyi) olukhwantithethivu (olugxile emananini kanye nobuningi) oluhlolisisayo futhi oluchazayo, lwasebenzisa iphephamibuzo eligcwaliswa ngababambiqhaza abayiqembu. Imibuzo evalekile kanye nemibuzo evulekile yasetshenziswa ukuthola idatha kubabambiqhaza bocwaningo abangama-350 ababekhethwe ngabomu ukufezekisa izinhloso zocwaningo. I-SSPS 26.0 Version yahlaziya idatha kanti futhi i-Factor Analysis yafingqa idatha ukuze ihumusheke kalula. Nakuba imihlahlandlela yokudla okunomsoco yaseNingizimu Afrika (SA FBDG) isuselwe ekudliweni kokudla okutholakala kuleli lizwe njengamanje, ababambiqhaza babengenalo ulwazi lokuthi kukhona imihlahlandlela enjengalena. Omama bayafundiswa, ngendlela engahlelekile, ezizindeni zezempilo mayelana neMihlahlandlela Yokudla Okunempilo, kodwake akekho owaziyo ukuthi baluqonda kangakanani ulwazi abaluthola lapho, futhi balusebenzisa kangakanani. Kuvamise ukuthi kungabi khona ukuhambisana nokuxhumana phakathi kolwazi oluphathelene nokudla okunomsoco kanye nokusetshenziswa kwalo. Omama bayakudinga ukufundiswa mayelana nokudla okunomsoco futhi kuqinisekiswe ukuthi imihlahlandlela yama-FBDG isetshenziswa ngendlela ephathekayo futhi ebonakalayo ukuze bakwazi ukwenza ngcono ukutholakala kokudla okunomsoco, kubona omama ngokwabo kanye nezingane zabo. / Life and Consumer Sciences / M.C.S.

Dietary intake is a strong determinate of the health of an individual. Healthy eating is an important prevention to non-communicable diseases. If behaviour is to be changed insight into what the attitudes and barriers are to eating healthily amongst adolescents is imperative. This can provide knowledge for future prevention campaigns for healthy eating to prevent overweight and obesity. The purpose of the study was to quantitatively describe what attitudes adolescent females have towards healthy eating and what potential barriers omits them from adopting healthy eating behaviours. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. Girls (N=73) from 3 public all girls’ high schools within Durban, KZN, participated in this study. The findings revealed that overall adolescent girls have a positive attitude to healthy eating. A lack of time, the foods sold in the school shop and the conveniences of less healthy food have been identified as barriers to healthy eating. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Background. Emerging evidence suggests that youth with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may engage in sub-optimal health behaviors including high levels of screen time, low physical activity participation, and consumption of poor diets. These are independent risk factors for adverse health outcomes, and health-related behavior patterns established in childhood can track into adulthood. Thus, identifying and addressing dietary and physical activity habits in sub-populations of youth have important implications for health over the lifespan. The specific aims of this dissertation were to: (1) compare screen time between youth with and without ADHD and to assess its relationship to ADHD symptomatology; (2) compare participation in physical activity (PA) between adolescents with and without ADHD and to assess the relationship of PA participation to ADHD symptomatology; and (3) evaluate the association of diet quality and dietary patterns to ADHD symptomatology among youth ages 8-15 years. Methods. The aforementioned outcomes of interest were analyzed using data from the continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2004. These waves of NHANES included a structured DSM-IV-based interview administered to parents that identified youth with ADHD and also yielded symptom counts for hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention. Screen time and physical activity data were obtained from questionnaires that queried the amount of time spent watching television, playing videos, or using the computer outside of school time, and also surveyed the types, frequency, and duration of PA in which youth participated. Diet quality and dietary patterns, which included consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), total calorie intake, and eating frequency, were obtained by a 24-hour dietary recall using the Automated Multiple Pass Method of interviewing. Linear and logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic factors and anxiety/depression were employed to address the specific aims. Results. The findings suggest that youth with ADHD are at the same, if not higher, risk for engaging in suboptimal health behaviors. Overall, youth participating in NHANES engaged in excessive amounts of screen time, failed to acquire sufficient physical activity, and consumed diets of poor quality. However, our findings suggest that ADHD symptomatology places youth at higher risk for sedentary behavior and poor diet quality. Relative to screen time, youth with ADHD showed a trend toward increased screen time, as did youth who took medication. ADHD symptoms were also associated with over two hours of daily TV viewing and overall increased screen time, and this was particularly true for children ages 8-11 years. Relative to physical activity, the outcomes did not differ between youth with and without ADHD, but the majority of youth did not meet the recommended guidelines of 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous PA each day. Diet quality was poor across the population of youth who participated in NHANES, and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms were associated with an even greater decrease in diet quality in both children and adolescents. In males, the presence of hyperactive/impulsive symptoms was associated with a decrease in diet quality, whereas in females, inattentive symptoms accounted for a decrease in diet quality. No differences in the other dietary patterns (i.e., SSB consumption, total energy intake, and eating frequency) were observed. Conclusions. The diagnosis of ADHD and/or its symptoms are associated with less-than-recommended levels of screen time and poor diet quality, though youth in general were found to be engaging in suboptimal sedentary, physical activity, and dietary behaviors. The mechanisms for why youth with ADHD may have increased vulnerability to poorer health behaviors are not yet well understood. The findings from this dissertation support the need for ongoing efforts to address lifestyle factors among the nation’s youth generally, but may also stimulate new hypotheses about the needs of youth with ADHD from both public health and clinical perspectives, and encourage research on the implications of ADHD symptomatology on health-related behaviors and lifestyle factors.

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 examines rural household food security and its determinants in drought-prone Amhara Region of Ethiopia by focusing on Lay Gaint district as a case study site. A range of factors from physical environmental circumstances to policy and institutions-related issues determine households‟ vulnerability to food insecurity and livelihood outcomes. The survey results showed that the majority (74%) of the sampled households experienced food insecurity. The situation was worse among female-headed households such that 86% of them were food insecure. The study revealed that, despite the low level of productivity related to local environmental constraints, rural livelihoods remain undiversified with small scale rain-fed agriculture to provide the primary source of livelihood for the large majority of households (~93% of respondents). Only about 25% of the respondents participated in some form of non-farm or off-farm activities, but with only little contribution to their total annual incomes. Food insecurity is a chronic problem in that, on average, households in the study area consume from own production for only about six months. The study found out that the majority of households (about 80%) perceived annual rainfall to be inadequate to support the growing of crops and grazing of animals. The main adaptive strategies employed by the majority of households included diversifying livestock kept, planting trees and diversifying crops. The study revealed that incidence, depth and severity of food insecurity of the food insecure households showed that Woina-Dega and Kolla agro-ecologies are prone to vulnerability to food insecurity. This suggests that development interventions that are geographically differentiated; and build household assets will improve household food security in the study area, and in other similar environments in the country. / Geography / D.Phil.

Measurement of household food insecurity is needed to identify the magnitude of food insecurity and assess the impact of development interventions. However, there is no commonly agreed measure of household food insecurity. While researchers continually experiment with new measures, the resultant measures are often complex and include numerous variables that still do not distinguish clearly between the food secure and the food insecure. This study set out to prepare a quick and convenient tool to measure household food security, using common household demographic and socio-economic variables commonly collected through a variety of household surveys. This has minimised data collection costs and assisted national food security units to continually measure and monitor household food insecurity. Food insecurity levels were estimated using data from a baseline survey conducted in a community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Food security was estimated using a number of measures, including food quantity (adequacy), dietary diversity, dietary quality, coping strategies employed and the Coping Strategies Index. The study found that household food availability varied across the two seasons over which data were collected. Only the percentile of sample households with adequate food intakes (one third of the samples) consumed enough food during the lean period when agricultural production was low. Households with inadequate food intakes also had consumed insufficient energy and lower micronutrient intakes during the period when agricultural produce was more abundant. Energy, iron and protein consumption was positively related to the consumption of adequate food. Energy intake was a relatively good indicator of protein and micronutrient intakes during the leaner period. Consumption of foods from three food groups, namely cereals, legumes and vegetables and fruits were necessary for adequate food intake. Cereals were the most important foods, forming the base of most meals, while fats and animal sourced foods were not widely consumed. Diversifying consumption through fruits and vegetables contributed significantly and positively to improved household food intakes. Household dietary diversity and dietary quality improved during the period of plenty. The application of coping strategies was strongly related to household food intake and diversity. Engaging in more coping strategies and having resultant higher Coping Strategy Index scores was strongly associated with household food inadequacy intakes and low food diversity scores. As expected, sampled households employed more coping strategies during the lean season. The strong and significant relationships between the Coping Strategies Index scores, the number of coping strategies practised by households and the household food intake indices (the Household Food Intake Index and Nutrient Adequacy Ratios) show that food intake is a strong indicator for household food security. The Household Food Insecurity Index and the Household Food Insecurity Scale were developed using 13 potential household demographic and socio-economic variables to identify the food-insecure households. The results of these two new measures were correlated with the results of the common measures reported above and found to be useful determinants of food security. The study found that while the Household Food Insecurity Index explained the influence of demographic and socio-economic variables in household food insecurity, the Household Food Insecurity Scale is more convenient in application (easy data management and computation process), and it is strongly related to the Coping Strategies Index scores. Both the Household Food Insecurity Scale and the Household Food Insecurity Index were useful tools to measure household food security and differentiate between food security and food insecure households in Embo Community. More research is recommended to further test the usefulness of the proposed measures in various settings. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

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)