The prevalence of malnutrition is high in Rwanda especially in Ruhango District of
Southern Province (23.5% in 2009). The contribution of soybean (
Glycine max
L),
which is an important source of high quality and inexpensive protein and oil, to
improvement of nutritional status of malnourished children is unclear. Although a lot
of research has been done on the production of soybean in Rwanda, research on
soybean in the diet to improve the nutritional status of malnourished children has not
been done. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of soybean flour and
soybean milk on the nutritional status of malnourished children under the age of five.
The objective was to determine the weight gain due to each treatment in comparison
with the control group. This study was conducted in Ruhango District of Southern
Province Rwanda. A survey was conducted where households growing and utilizing
soybean were identified and anthropometric measurements were taken on 294
children to select malnourished children. Thirty malnourished children participate in
the intervention which lasted three months. One cup (250ml) of soybean milk was
supplemented to ten children per day. An equal number was supplemented with 25g
of soybean flour in soup (250ml). The caregivers of the ten children in the control
group received nutrition education together with the two treatment groups.
Anthropometric measurements were taken every month and entered in WHO
ANTHRO software. Data was analyzed by regression models using GenStat 14
th
edition and the magnitude of weight gain due to each of the treatments was predicted
at 5% level of significance. A linear mixed model was used to estimate and compare
weight gain among children fed on soybean milk and soybean flour supplement in
comparison with the control group. Soybean products were found to affect weight
gain of children (P = 0.04). The mean weight gain was 0.9 (±0.5) kg within three
months of intervention. The difference in weight gain between the two treatment
groups was not significant. To improve the nutritional status of malnourished children
under five years further intervention is needed in terms of education and training on
soybean based diet formulation.
