Mitigated Impact of Provision of Local Foods Combined with Nutrition Education and Counseling on Young Child Nutritional Status in Cambodia

Abstract

Background: In Cambodia, stunting and wasting affect, respectively, 32% and 10% of children 0–59 months while 55% are anemic. Our research aims to assess the efficiency of two local foods combined with nutritional education and counseling (CEN) activities as compared to CEN alone on improving child nutritional status and dietary intake. Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in Soth Nikum area over a six-month period among children 6–23 months (n = 360) assigned to receive either moringa +CEN, cricket +CEN or CEN alone. Anthropometric measurements were performed and hemoglobin and ferritin levels assessed. Results: Overall, no significant increase in the mean length/height-for-age z-score was observed, although a small increase of the weight-for-length/height was noted in intervention groups. Hemoglobin and ferritin mean values increased in all groups. The degree of satisfaction of energy, proteins, iron, and zinc requirements improved in all groups, but to a greater extent in the intervention groups and more children were healthy. Conclusion: Our research shows no significant impact of the provision of two local foods combined with CEN on the improvement of child nutritional status as compared to CEN alone. However, children consuming them better fulfilled their energy, iron, and zinc requirements and were healthier.

Keywords

• Malnutrition
• quality complementary foods
• young children
• nutrition education
• nutrition counseling
• Cambodia