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Cited by 70Child Nutrition and Water AccessPlant Micronutrient Interactions and EffectsInfant Nutrition and Health

The effectiveness of quality protein maize in improving the nutritional status of young children in the Ethiopian Highlands

Akalu, Girma, Taffesse, Samson, Gunaratna, Nilupa S., De Groote, Hugo·2010·Food and Nutrition Bulletin
DOI 10.1177/156482651003100304
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition is a persistent problem in Africa, especially in rural areas where the poor largely depend on staples and have limited access to a diverse diet. Quality protein maize (QPM) consists of maize varieties biofortified with increased lysine and tryptophan levels. Several studies in controlled settings have indicated the positive impact of QPM on the nutritional status of children. OBJECTIVE: Two 1-year, randomized, controlled studies were undertaken to measure the effect of QPM on the nutritional status of children consuming typical maize-based diets when QPM was cultivated by their households in the western Ethiopian highlands. METHODS: The first study used a cluster-randomized design with 151 children aged 5 to 29 months; the second study used a completely randomized design with 211 children aged 7 to 56 months. In both studies, half of the households were provided with QPM seed and the other half with seed of an improved conventional maize variety. RESULTS: Undernutrition was pervasive, and maize was the dominant food in the children's complementary diets. In the first study a positive effect of QPM was observed for weight but not height, with children in the QPM group recovering from a drop in weight-for-height. In the second study, children consuming conventional maize progressively faltered in their growth, whereas children consuming QPM did not change significantly in height-for-age and had a marginal increase in weight-for-age. CONCLUSIONS: These studies indicate that in major maize-producing and -consuming areas of Africa, home cultivation and use of QPM in children's diets could reduce or prevent growth faltering and may in some cases support catch-up growth in weight.

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  • Lysine fortification has been demonstrated as an effective method of supporting growth and lean mass accrual.

    “Lysine fortification has been demonstrated as an effective method of supporting growth and lean mass accrual [[102], [103], [104]].”

    From Nutritional Considerations for the Vegan Athlete (2023) · cites this paper as [104]

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Authors
Akalu, G., Taffesse, S., Gunaratna, N. S., & De Groote, H.
Affiliations
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (ET)
ORCID
Gunaratna, Nilupa S.
Venue
Food and Nutrition Bulletin
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2010-09
Volume
31
Issue
3
Pages
418-430
ISSN
  • 0379-5721 (ISSN-L)
  • 1564-8265
DOI
10.1177/156482651003100304
OpenAlex
W1525873421
Cited by
70
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 3 · 2012: 7
FWCI
3.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Food and Nutrition Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Child Nutrition and Water Access
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Plant Micronutrient Interactions and Effects
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Infant Nutrition and Health
Keywords
quality protein maize, biofortification, child undernutrition, young children, complementary feeding, corn-based diets, home cultivation, weight-for-height, height-for-age, catch-up growth, Ethiopian highlands
MeSH terms
Body Height, Body Weight, Breeding, Child Development, Child, Preschool, Zea mays, Diet, Ethiopia, Family Characteristics, Humans, Infant, Infant Nutrition Disorders, Lysine, Nutritional Status, Seeds, Tryptophan, Plant Proteins, Dietary, Child Nutrition Disorders, Focus Groups, Gardening

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