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African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
Rural Outreach Program
ISSN: 1684-5358 EISSN: 1684-5358
Vol. 17, No. 3, 2017, pp. 12427-12440
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Bioline Code: nd17071
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Vol. 17, No. 3, 2017, pp. 12427-12440
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DIETARY CALCIUM INTAKE AND SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE AMONG CHILDREN AGED 6-23 MONTHS IN DALE WOREDA, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA
Tezera, F.; Whiting, S.J. & Gebremedhin, S.
Abstract
Nutritional rickets can be caused by either or both calcium and vitamin D deficiencies,
and can frequently occur in Africa. In Ethiopia, limited evidence exists regarding the
calcium intake of children and their sunlight exposure practices. The purpose of this
study was to assess information regarding dietary calcium intake and sunlight exposure
practice, which are factors related to nutritional rickets. The study was conducted in
Dale Woreda, Southern Ethiopia using a community based cross-sectional survey
design with both descriptive and analytic components. A total of 170 children were
selected using multi-stage sampling technique. A structured questionnaire and an
interactive 24-hour dietary assessment method were used to collect data on sociodemographic
and economic information and to assess dietary calcium intake of
participant children. The Ethiopian food composition table supplemented by world food
data were used to convert dietary intake into nutrient content. The mean (SD) age of the
study children was 14.4 (±4.7) months. The male to female ratio was 1.24. The mean (±
SD) calcium intake of participant children was 407 ± 235 mg/day; 26.5% had low
dietary calcium intake compared with their age specific recommended nutrient intake
(RNI) value. Regarding sunlight exposure, 41.1% participant mothers exposed their
child to sunlight within 1 (one) month of birth and 56.5% of study children were
exposed to sunlight for 20 to 30 minutes per day. In conclusion, the risk of dietary
calcium inadequacy was prevalent because of low intakes by some children. Even if
only 26.5% of participating children had low dietary calcium intake, the children in the
study area have some risk of dietary calcium inadequacy due to the high content of
phytate in the prevailing complementary foods such as fruits and maize based
complementary food, which can inhibit bioavailability of calcium. The participant
children were not at risk of inadequate exposure to sunlight because they had good
exposure practices and there was no sunlight avoidance practices among the majority of
participant children.
Keywords
Calcium; Children; Ethiopia; Rickets; Sunlight exposure; Vitamin D; Phytate; Complementary foods
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