Dairy pproduction: A nattrition iintervention an a ssugarcane growing area in Western Kenya

Abstract

A study to assess the impact of dairy production on the nutritional status of preschool children aged between 24 and 59 months in Mumias Division, a predominantly sugarcane growing zone of Western Kenya was undertaken between 1997 and 1998. Nutritional status was assessed by taking height, weight and age of the study children and comparing this with the height and weight of well-fed children of the same age using the WHO/NCHS growth reference standards. Height-for-age, weight-for-height and weight-for-age indices for each child were determined. Measures of disparity were also calculated to determine the extent of malnutrition in this study area. Children falling below the cut-off point (±2SD) from the median of the reference population were classified as stunted, wasted and under-weight. The influence of dairy production and a select number of household characteristics on the children's nutritional status was evaluated. Up to 44.7% of preschool children were stunted, 10.4% were wasted and 27% were under-weight. Stunting was more prevalent (26.1%) among children from households whose main enterprise was sugarcane farming and where men-controlled income from this enterprise. Children from households keeping dairy cattle as an additional farming activity had lower stunting prevalence. Such households were better off in terms of food security, increased milk consumption and improved nutritional status especially of the young children. Appropriate policies to improve dairy production and household food security are crucially needed. Such policies should encourage the diversification of farming activities to incorporate both food and cash crops. Dairy production is clearly a positive activity in a food security program.