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

NCT ID: NCT01920646

Last Updated: 2013-08-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 171 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2012-02-29
• Study Completion Date: 2012-06-30

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

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED

Study Groups

ALV

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).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

ALV

Intervention Type: 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.

Control

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

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

ALV

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.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 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

Exclusion Criteria

• 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.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 6 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Medical Research Council, South Africa

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Agricultural Research Council of South Africa

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Sight and Life

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Program to Support Pro-poor Policy Development (PSPPD)

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Research Foundation of South Africa

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

North-West University, South Africa

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Marinka van der Hoeven

Mrs Marinka van der Hoeven

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Marius Smuts, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

North-West University

Annamarie Kruger, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

North-West University

Marinka van der Hoeven, MSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

North-West University

Locations

Sizamela Intermediate School and Buffelsvlei Intermediate School

Rysmierbult, North West, South Africa

Countries

South Africa

Other Identifiers

ALV study

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id