A comparative study of the nutritional status of children in villages in northern Nigeria using and not using soya beans

Abstract

The nutritional status of 240 children between the ages of 2 and 15 years in communities that use or do not use soya beans was evaluated by conventional methods. There were significant differences (p < .05) in the nutritional status of pre-school (2-5 yr) and school-age children (6-15 yr) in the three communities. Using weight-for-height as an index of acute malnutrition, 32.5%, 25.5%, and 22.6% of preschool children were normal in Kurmin Masara, Kaya, and Makera, respectively, as were 44.6%, 24.4%, and 21.7% of school-age children. Kurmin Masara, a community producing and using soya beans, had a significantly higher percentage (p < .05) of nutritionally normal and a lower percentage of severely malnourished children than the other two villages. Generally, malnutrition was more pronounced in school-age children in the three communities. Soya bean accounted for 34.4%, 28.5%, and 1.3% of the protein intake of children 2 to 15 years of age in Kurmin Masara, Kaya, and Makera, respectively. Our findings appear to validate the importance of soya bean in the diet of children, especially in this period of economic recession when animal protein sources are very expensive. Extension service efforts are necessary in Nigeria and other African countries to increase soya bean production and use to improve the nutritional status of the population, particularly young children.