[ Une approche pour améliorer l’évaluation des consommations alimentaires dans la province du Sud-Kivu, République Démocratique du Congo, par la conversion des mesures alimentaires usuelles locales en unités du système international ]
Volume 30, Issue 2, May 2017, Pages 175–185
Victor Buhendwa Mirindi1, J.M. Mbaka Kavuvu2, G. Wabatinga Kyalemaninwa3, V. Witumbula Katambwe4, A. Bashamuka Sifa5, and J.P. Baneya6
1 Professeur, départements de nutrition, Université de Kisangani (Faculté de médecine et pharmacie) - Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu (ISTM-Bukavu), RD Congo
2 Chefs de Travaux, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu, Province du Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
3 Chefs de Travaux, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu, Province du Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
4 Chefs de Travaux, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu, Province du Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
5 Finaliste en nutrition, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu, Province du Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
6 Professeur, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Kinshasa, Directeur du Programme National Nutrition, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2017 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Background: Household or individual food consumption measurement is an issue in the South-Kivu province, DRC. Nutrition professionals and researchers are struggling to perform a 24h recall or any other assessment method due to lack of information regarding how to estimate the food intake of their respondents in a context where the local food contents as used in the markets are not labeled and their weight and/or volume are not known. Moreover, many housekeepers are illiterate, they can’t use weighing scales for the foods consumed, and therefore they can’t provide information about the consumed food amounts. Objective: In this study, we suggest an original approach for improving the food consumption assessment by converting the local food containers in international system units such as grams. This would facilitate the nutrition consultation and prescription and better understand the nutrition situation at clinical and community levels. Design: In this three step approach, the food containers used in local markets for specific foods were measured full (bombed) of the related foods. 3 repeated measures were obtained for each container on the spot in the market, and the average weight was calculated and reported in a table. We describe how to use the collected data in a three step procedure, including 1) How to conduct the interview 2) How to use the local food container measurement data in estimating the food consumption of the respondents in grams and 3) How to use a food composition table to estimate energy and nutrients intakes. Conclusion and recommendations: The proposed approach is to be understood as a first step in in the resolution of the challenge of food consumption assessment. The next step would be the production of a brochure listing all the food container measures and their conversion in international unit system, to be utilized by the nutrition professionals, researchers and students. This approach might be extended to other regions of DRC and other African countries as they all face same problem.
Author Keywords: Approach, food consumption, household measures, conversion table, food composition table, nutritional consultation.
Volume 30, Issue 2, May 2017, Pages 175–185
Victor Buhendwa Mirindi1, J.M. Mbaka Kavuvu2, G. Wabatinga Kyalemaninwa3, V. Witumbula Katambwe4, A. Bashamuka Sifa5, and J.P. Baneya6
1 Professeur, départements de nutrition, Université de Kisangani (Faculté de médecine et pharmacie) - Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu (ISTM-Bukavu), RD Congo
2 Chefs de Travaux, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu, Province du Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
3 Chefs de Travaux, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu, Province du Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
4 Chefs de Travaux, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu, Province du Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
5 Finaliste en nutrition, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu, Province du Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
6 Professeur, Départment de nutrition, Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Kinshasa, Directeur du Programme National Nutrition, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2017 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Background: Household or individual food consumption measurement is an issue in the South-Kivu province, DRC. Nutrition professionals and researchers are struggling to perform a 24h recall or any other assessment method due to lack of information regarding how to estimate the food intake of their respondents in a context where the local food contents as used in the markets are not labeled and their weight and/or volume are not known. Moreover, many housekeepers are illiterate, they can’t use weighing scales for the foods consumed, and therefore they can’t provide information about the consumed food amounts. Objective: In this study, we suggest an original approach for improving the food consumption assessment by converting the local food containers in international system units such as grams. This would facilitate the nutrition consultation and prescription and better understand the nutrition situation at clinical and community levels. Design: In this three step approach, the food containers used in local markets for specific foods were measured full (bombed) of the related foods. 3 repeated measures were obtained for each container on the spot in the market, and the average weight was calculated and reported in a table. We describe how to use the collected data in a three step procedure, including 1) How to conduct the interview 2) How to use the local food container measurement data in estimating the food consumption of the respondents in grams and 3) How to use a food composition table to estimate energy and nutrients intakes. Conclusion and recommendations: The proposed approach is to be understood as a first step in in the resolution of the challenge of food consumption assessment. The next step would be the production of a brochure listing all the food container measures and their conversion in international unit system, to be utilized by the nutrition professionals, researchers and students. This approach might be extended to other regions of DRC and other African countries as they all face same problem.
Author Keywords: Approach, food consumption, household measures, conversion table, food composition table, nutritional consultation.
How to Cite this Article
Victor Buhendwa Mirindi, J.M. Mbaka Kavuvu, G. Wabatinga Kyalemaninwa, V. Witumbula Katambwe, A. Bashamuka Sifa, and J.P. Baneya, “An approach to improve food consumption assessment in South-Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo: conversion of household food measures into international system units,” International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 175–185, May 2017.
