Browsing by Author "Huang, Megan"

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    Rich food biodiversity amid low consumption of food items in Kilosa district, Tanzania
    (Sage Publication, 2017) Ntwenya, Julius E.; Kinabo, Joyce; Msuya, John; Mamiro, Delphina; Mamiro, Peter; Njoghomi, Elifuraha; Liwei, Philip; Huang, Megan
    Indigenous foods, which contribute largely to the majority of the households food basket in rural Tanzanian communities, have not been fully characterized or documented. The study aimed to document foods available and consumed in Kilosa District, Tanzania, in an attempt to promote, revive use, and build evidence for sustainable utilization of the rich local biodiversity. Data were collected from 307 households in 3 agroecological zones in Kilosa District during the beginning of the rainy season (February-May) and immediately after harvest (September-October). A list of food items was generated, and 24-hour recall was performed. Descriptive statistics were calculated and a student t test statistic was used to compare the means of the Food Biodiversity Score between the agricultural seasons. A total of 183 edible food items were reported by households with more reported in the rainy season (n = 82) compared to harvest season (n = 64). The mean number of food items consumed per day during the rainy season was 4.7 (95% CI: 4.5-5.0) compared to 5.9 (95% CI: 5.7-6.1) during harvest season. About 50% of the households mentioned that wild edible foods were less accepted by household members. Despite the rich local food biodiversity, households relied on few food items which may be due to limited awareness and knowledge about the biodiversity of foods in the community. It is important to educate communities on the rich and affordable food base available locally to improve their food diversity, income, and nutritional status.
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    Socio-economic and spatial correlates of subclinical iodine deficiency among pregnant women age 15–49 years in Tanzania
    (BMC, 2017) Mtumwa, Abdalla H.; Ntwenya, Julius Edward; Paul, Edwin; Huang, Megan; Vuai, Said
    Background: Iodine deficiency is a widespread global health problem that affects about 2 billion people each year. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to iodine deficiency due to increased iodine requirement leading to death, miscarriage, and stillbirth. Iodine deficiency also has significant negative effects on newborns including impaired cognitive development, impaired learning capabilities, and stunting. This study looks at the association between subclinical iodine deficiency and demographic factors including age, wealth index, education, family size, geographical zone, number of children, fish consumption, pregnancy trimester and household salt in pregnant women aged 15–49 years in Tanzania. Methods: The 2010 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) data was re analyzed. Subclinical iodine deficiency is classified as a urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of <150 μg/L. Results: Results showed that the prevalence of iodine deficiency (54%) was unacceptably high among pregnant women. The results of multiple logistic regression model found that number of children, wealth index, household salt, and geographical zone were significantly associated with iodine deficiency in these women. Conclusion: These results indicate a need to implement interventions to increase iodine intake that targets pregnant women with the specific demographic characteristics.