Effect of African Leafy Vegetables on Nutritional Status of South African School Children.

NCT01920646 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: ALV study
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 171
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The combination of poverty-related infectious and lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases, both driven by malnutrition, causes a high burden for South Africa. Healthy and nutritious diets for populations depend on availability and accessibility of a variety of plant and animal foods, within a context that promotes and supports healthy behaviour. Food based strategies, such as supplementation, food fortification, and diversification of crops, are used to achieve optimal dietary requirements to combat malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies. A more sustainable food based strategy is the (promotion of) use of indigenous and traditional foods, such as African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs). Unfortunately, several studies from all over Africa have shown that there is a shift from traditional diets as result of the preparing techniques and the absence of women in homes. Furthermore, indigenous and traditional foods are considered as "poor people's food". Against this background, a joint project between South Africa, Kenya and Benin is designed to fill the gaps in knowledge in these countries regarding the availability, acceptability and consumption and evidenced based benefits of foods from local biodiversity. The main aim of the study in South Africa is to provide empirical evidence of how the role of biodiversity can be translated into improved health status in contemporary poor rural and urban communities in the North West Province of South Africa. In order to achieve this it is important to gain knowledge on the possibility of using ALVs as a strategy to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies. Therefore an intervention study to determine the effect of selected ALV on the nutritional status (including zinc, iron, and vitamin A status) of school children (grade R-4) residing in contemporary poor rural community in the North West Province, South Africa has been designed.

Conditions

Iron Status; Vitamin A Status; Zinc Status; Malnutrition

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in nutritional status of school children (nutritional status measured by: blood haemoglobin, serum ferritin, serum zinc and serum retinol)

  three months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in nutritional status of school children (nutritional status measured by: height-for-age z-score, weight-for-age z-score and BMI-for-age z-score)

  three months

Study Arms (2)

ALV

EXPERIMENTAL

300 gram cooked African leafy vegetables and school meal starch as daily school meal (5 days/weeks) for 3 months. Selected African leafy vegetables:Amaranthus cruentus (amaranth), Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), Cleome gynandra (spiderplant), and Cucurbita maxima (pumpkin).

Other: ALV

Control

NO INTERVENTION

normal school meal as daily meal (5 days/weeks) for 3 months

Interventions

ALV OTHER

Random allocation of children of two rural farm schools per grade to receive either 300 gram cooked ALVs and school meal starch or the normal school meal as daily meal (5 days/weeks) for 3 months.

ALV

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• apparently healthy and had no signs and symptoms of acute illness at the time of baseline blood collection
• attending grade R - 4 of one of the selected schools

You may not qualify if:

• Children with a haemoglobin concentration \<8 g/dL were excluded from the study and referred for medical treatment.
• Children who received micronutrient supplements were also excluded from the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• North-West University, South Africa: lead
• Medical Research Council, South Africa: collaborator
• Agricultural Research Council of South Africa: collaborator
• Sight and Life: collaborator
• Program to Support Pro-poor Policy Development (PSPPD): collaborator
• National Research Foundation of South Africa: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Sizamela Intermediate School and Buffelsvlei Intermediate School

Rysmierbult, North West, South Africa

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Malnutrition

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Study Officials

• Marius Smuts, PhD

  North-West University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Annamarie Kruger, PhD

  North-West University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Marinka van der Hoeven, MSc

  North-West University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Mrs Marinka van der Hoeven

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 8, 2013
• First Posted: August 12, 2013
• Study Start: February 1, 2012
• Primary Completion: May 1, 2012
• Study Completion: June 1, 2012
• Last Updated: August 12, 2013

Record last verified: 2013-08

Locations

ZA (1)