Mathilde Savy

Measuring dietary diversity in rural Burkina Faso: comparison of a 1-day and a 3-day dietary recall

OBJECTIVESnTo compare dietary diversity scores measured over a 1-day and a 3-day period, and to assess their relationships with socio-economic characteristics and the nutritional status of rural African women.nnnDESIGNnA qualitative dietary recall allowed calculation of a dietary diversity score (DDS; number of food groups consumed out of a total of nine). Body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) were used to assess the nutritional status of women.nnnSETTING AND SUBJECTSnA representative sample of 550 mothers in north-east Burkina Faso.nnnRESULTSnThe DDS increased from 3.5 to 4.4 when calculated from a 1-day or a 3-day recall (P < 0.0001), although for the latter the DDS was affected by memory bias. The DDS calculated from a 1-day recall was higher when a market day occurred during the recall period. Both scores were linked to the sociodemographic and economic characteristics of the women. Women in the lowest DDS tertile calculated from the 1-day recall had a mean BMI of 20.5 kg m-(2) and 17.7% of them were underweight, versus 21.6 kg m (-2) and 3.5% for those in the highest tertile (P = 0.0003 and 0.0007, respectively). The DDS calculated from the 1-day recall was also linked to mean BFP; all these links remained significant after adjustment for confounders. For the 3-day period, no such relationships were found to be significant after adjustment.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe DDS calculated from a 1-day dietary recall was sufficient to predict the womens nutritional status. In such a context attention should be paid to market days.

Are dietary diversity scores related to the socio-economic and anthropometric status of women living in an urban area in Burkina Faso?

OBJECTIVESnTo study dietary diversity and its relationship with socio-economic and nutritional characteristics of women in an urban Sahelian context.nnnDESIGNnA qualitative dietary recall was performed over a 24-h period. Dietary diversity scores (DDS = number of food groups consumed) were calculated from a list of nine food groups (DDS-9) or from a list of 22 food groups (DDS-22) which detailed both micronutrient- and energy-dense foods more extensively. Body mass index (BMI), mid upper-arm circumference and body fat percentage were used to assess the nutritional status of the women.nnnSETTING AND SUBJECTSnFive hundred and fifty-seven women randomly selected in two districts of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.nnnRESULTSnThe mean DDS-9 and DDS-22 were 4.9 +/- 1.0 and 6.5 +/- 1.8 food groups, respectively. In the high tertile of DDS-22, more women consumed fatty and sweetened foods, fresh fish, non-fatty meat and vitamin-A-rich fruits and vegetables. The DDS-9 was not associated with the womens socio-economic characteristics whereas the DDS-22 was higher when the women were younger, richer and had received at least a minimum education. Mean BMI of the women was 24.2 +/- 4.9 kg m-2 and 37% of them were overweight or obese (BMI > or = 25 kg m-2). Neither the DDS-9 nor the DDS-22 was associated with the womens anthropometric status, even though there was a trend towards fewer overweight women in the lowest tertile of DDS-22.nnnCONCLUSIONnIn this urban area, the qualitative measurement of dietary diversity is not sufficient to identify women at risk of under- or overweight.

Dietary patterns of adults living in Ouagadougou and their association with overweight

BackgroundUrbanization in developing countries comes along with changes in food habits and living conditions and with an increase in overweight and associated health risks. The objective of the study was to describe dietary patterns of adults in Ouagadougou and to study their relationship with anthropometric status of the subjects.MethodsA qualitative food frequency questionnaire was administered to 1,072 adults living in two contrasted districts of Ouagadougou. Dietary patterns were defined by principal component analysis and described by multivariate analysis. Logistic regression was used to study their association with overweight.ResultsThe diet was mainly made of cereals, vegetables and fats from vegetable sources. The two first components of the principal component analysis were interpreted respectively as a snacking score and as a modern foods score. Both scores were positively and independently associated with the economic level of households and with food expenditures (p ≤ 0.001 for both). The snacking score was higher for younger people (p = 0.004), for people having a formal occupation (p = 0.006), for those never married (p = 0.005), whereas the modern foods score was associated with ethnic group (p = 0.032) and district of residence (p < 0.001). Thirty-six percent of women and 14.5% of men were overweight (Body Mass Index > 25 kg/m2). A higher modern foods score was associated with a higher prevalence of overweight when confounding factors were accounted for (OR = 1.19 [95% CI 1.03-1.36]) but there was no relationship between overweight and the snacking score.ConclusionsModernisation of types of foods consumed was associated with the living conditions and the environment and with an increased risk of overweight. This should be accounted for to promote better nutrition and prevent non communicable diseases.