Adequacy of Nutritional Levels at Local Orphanage Homes

Serere J. H., Zengeni P., Usai T., Chinofunga D., Nyamunda B.C.

Abstract: The dietary patterns and nutritional adequacy at 3 orphanages in a local town, Gweru in Zimbabwe was determined. Three components of nutritional assessment were used to assess the nutritional status of the children namely anthropometry measures, focussing on weight, height and body mass index (BMI), clinical assessment of the skin, hair, mouth, muscles, blood pressure and fluid retention and dietary assessment of carbohydrate, protein, vitamin A, iron, zinc, calcium and folate intake using a quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Nutritional status indicated that 80, 53.3 and 13.4% of children from Blue hills hostel, Midlands children hope centre and Midlands children?s home respectively had low weight for their age. Average servings per day from all the three orphanages did not meet recommendations of MyPyramid and ?5 A Day? for combined fruit and vegetables. Results revealed that from the three orphanages no food variety was provided from all the five food groups as the most frequently consumed foods were sadza and beans as the common source of protein.

Keywords: anthropometric, clinical assessment, malnutrition, nutrition, orphanage