Agrobiodiversity, cultural factors and their impact on food and nutrition security : a case-study in the south-east region of the Peruvian Andes
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It was postulated that populations living in an environment with a high degree of agrobiodiversity are also more likely to show a higher dietary diversity and therefore a better nutritional outcome. Thus, a serial cross-sectional study was conducted in four rural Aymara communities in the southeast region of Peru situated between 3,825 and 4,100 masl, a region with high agrobiodiversity. The main objectives were the following: A) to examine whether agrobiodiversity is potentially available for a diversified diet, B) to assess the dietary diversity and food variety in different seasons of the year and identify possible seasonal influence, C) to identify influencing factors such as socio-economic and household-related characteristics on both the dietary diversity and food variety, and D) to examine whether a diversified diet is correlated with the nutritional outcomes. The selected seasons were the rainy one (February-March), the post-harvest period (June-July), and the farming or sowing season (October-November) during 2007. The target population was women aged 15-49. The surveys included two parts in each season: 1) standardized questionnaires with general household and socio-economic questions as well as a qualitative 24h dietary recall, and 2) anthropometric measures for the calculation of BMI, and MUAC, as well as capillary blood samples for measuring iron and vitamin A status. Cases with possible diseases or the intake of medicaments or nutritional supplements were excluded. After data cleansing, a total sample size of 183 women in the first, 161 in the second, and 158 in the third survey were considered for further nutritional and socio-economic analysis, while anthropometric and biochemical data from 143, 105, and 98 women were included for the corresponding statistical tests, respectively. The DDS and FVS were calculated for each season based on the 24h recalls, using 14 food groups and 61 food items, respectively. A wealth and housing index was constructed to classify each participant into low, medium, or high socio-economic status. The most cultivated food crops were potato (100%), barley (80.3%), broad beans (77.6%), quinoa (71.6%) and oca (57.9%). Animal husbandry was characterized by sheep (92.4%), cattle (76.5%), chickens (49.2%), and pigs (42.6%). In general, domestic animals such as cattle and pig were mainly kept for sale purposes, while sheep and chickens were used for household consumption. Home gardens for horticulture and fruits were not wide spread among the households (23%), while 82.5% of the women said they gathered plants. Taking all three seasons into account (n = 147), a median (IQR) DDS of 6.7 (6.3 to 7.7) food groups out of 14 and FVS of 11.0 (9.7 to 12.3) food items out of 61 were obtained. Over the three surveyed seasons, the diet was characterized by potatoes (100%), cereals (97.3%) - mostly wheat products and rice, vegetables (95.3%) such as onions and tomatoes, vitamin A-rich vegetables (87.8%) such as carrots and pumpkins, and legumes (67%) - mainly broad beans. Overall, animal source foods were not frequently consumed (less than 50%). Nevertheless, the consumption prevalence of flesh meat accounted for approx. 56% of the women within the highest DDS tercile. The dietary diversity was not significantly different among the three seasons, while the food variety was significantly higher in June-July than in February-March (p less than 0.001) and in October-November (p = 0.013). The median (IQR) number of utilized traditional food, 4.0 (3.0 to 5.0) did not differ significantly between seasons, villages, income sources or SES. In contrast, a slightly higher number of commercial foods were purchased by women from wealthier households, by those living closer to markets, and by those with income sources coming from regular wages or from a combination between agricultural and non-farm activities (all tests p less than 0.01). A higher number of vegetables and fruits were purchased by the upper SES level (p less than 0.05) and the village with the shortest distance to local markets (p less than 0.01) during the first survey period. When checked for factors related to agrobiodiversity, food security, and caring capacity, the dietary diversity and food variety were determined by different factors according to the surveyed seasons. In pre-harvest periods (rainy season), staple food scarcity, demographic and socio-economic factors influenced DDS and FVS the most, while agricultural biodiversity, i.e. food resources coming from farming activities, did not play a significant role. During the post-harvest season, DDS and FVS were basically influenced by agrobiodiversity and SES. After inclusion of the educational level of the household s head in the model, the outcome revealed that this caring capacity factor had the main impact on the DDS, modifying it positively. Finally, during the farming season (the initial food shortage), the crop variety of the households along with the sector of residence, and in case of FVS, the length of food shortage and education of the head of household were also significant influencing factors on the food scores. Less than 10% of the women were underweight, while more than 20% were overweight or even obese, suggesting processes of nutrition transition as observed in other middle and low income populations. Though not distinctive, a significant (p less than 0.05) seasonal decrease in BMI, weight, and MUAC was found at the end of the year, which coincided with the initial local food shortage. The prevalence of anemia was high in each season (35%, 49%, and 45%, respectively). Nevertheless, the share of anemic women during the rainy season was significantly lower than the one in the post-harvest (p less than 0.05). Gathering (p less than 0.01) during the rainy season and animal-based vitamin A-rich foods (p less than 0.05) during the post-harvest influenced the Hb concentrations of the participants positively. A seasonal amelioration of the iron status was found between the post-harvest and farming season, while the vitamin A status showed a worsening between the same periods (both p less than 0.001). Because of the low percentage of women with abnormal sTfR concentrations but high anemia prevalence in each season, it is presumable that anemia in the study region is caused by other nutritional or health-related factors rather than iron-related only. Though no significant relationships were found between the food scores and vitamin A or iron status, certain consumption patterns showed an association with Hb, sTfR, and RBP. In this case, the biochemical indicators were sensitive to some aspects of the diet reflected in the food groups consumed by the individuals. This fact points out that attention should be paid to the specific food groups consumed by the individuals, and thus, even qualitative dietary methods are able to identify critical consumption patterns.Verknüpfung zu Publikationen oder weiteren Datensätzen
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Giessen : VVB Laufersweiler