The National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS): South Africa, 1999

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dc.contributor.authorLabadarios D.
dc.contributor.authorSteyn N.P.
dc.contributor.authorMaunder E.
dc.contributor.authorMacIntryre U.
dc.contributor.authorGericke G.
dc.contributor.authorSwart R.
dc.contributor.authorHuskisson J.
dc.contributor.authorDannhauser A.
dc.contributor.authorVorster H.H.
dc.contributor.authorNesmvuni A.E.
dc.contributor.authorNel J.H.
dc.date.accessioned2011-05-15T16:17:47Z
dc.date.available2011-05-15T16:17:47Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.description.abstractObjective: The aim of the National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) in South Africa was to determine the nutrient intakes and anthropometric status of children (1-9 years old), as well as factors that influence their dietary intake. Design: This was a cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of all children aged 1-9 years in South Africa. A nationally representative sample with provincial representation was selected using 1996 Census information. Subjects: Of the 3120 children who were originally sampled data were obtained from 2894, a response rate of 93%. Methods: The sociodemographic status of each household was assessed by a questionnaire. Dietary intake was assessed by means of a 24-hour recall and a food-frequency questionnaire from the caregivers of the children. Food purchasing practices were determined by means of a food procurement questionnaire. Hunger was assessed by a modified hunger scale questionnaire. Nutritional status was determined by means of anthropometric measurements: height, weight, head circumference and arm circumference. Results: At the national level, stunting (height-for-age below minus two standard deviations (< -2SD) from the reference median) was by far the most common nutritional disorder, affecting nearly one in five children. The children least affected (17%) were those living in urban areas. Even with regard to the latter, however, children living in informal urban areas were more severely affected (20%) compared with those living in formal urban areas (16%). A similar pattern emerged for the prevalence of underweight (weight-for-age < -2SD), with one in 10 children being affected at the national level. Furthermore, one in 10 (13%) and one in four (26%) children aged 1-3 years had an energy intake less than half and less than two-thirds of their daily energy needs, respectively. For South African children as a whole, the intakes of energy, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, vitamins A, D, C and E, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and folic acid were below two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowances. At the national level, data from the 24-hour recalls indicated that the most commonly consumed food items were maize, sugar, tea, whole milk and brown bread. For South African children overall, one in two households (52%) experienced hunger, one in four (23%) were at risk of hunger and only one in four households (25%) appeared food-secure. Conclusion: The NFCS indicated that a large majority of households were food-insecure and that energy deficit and micronutrient deficiencies were common, resulting in a high prevalence of stunting. These results were used as motivation for the introduction of mandatory fortification in South Africa. © The Authors 2005.
dc.description.versionConference Paper
dc.identifier.citationPublic Health Nutrition
dc.identifier.citation8
dc.identifier.citation5
dc.identifier.issn13689800
dc.identifier.other10.1079/PHN2005816
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/14367
dc.subjectalpha tocopherol
dc.subjectascorbic acid
dc.subjectcalcium
dc.subjectfolic acid
dc.subjectiron
dc.subjectnicotinic acid
dc.subjectpyridoxine
dc.subjectretinol
dc.subjectriboflavin
dc.subjectselenium
dc.subjectsugar
dc.subjectvitamin D
dc.subjectzinc
dc.subjectanthropometry
dc.subjectbread
dc.subjectcaloric intake
dc.subjectcaregiver
dc.subjectchild
dc.subjectconference paper
dc.subjectcontrolled study
dc.subjectdemography
dc.subjectdietary intake
dc.subjectfood intake
dc.subjecthealth survey
dc.subjecthuman
dc.subjectmaize
dc.subjectmilk
dc.subjectnutritional deficiency
dc.subjectnutritional status
dc.subjectpriority journal
dc.subjectquestionnaire
dc.subjectSouth Africa
dc.subjecttea
dc.subjectunderweight
dc.subjectAnthropometry
dc.subjectBody Height
dc.subjectChild
dc.subjectChild Nutrition Disorders
dc.subjectChild, Preschool
dc.subjectCross-Sectional Studies
dc.subjectDiet
dc.subjectDiet Surveys
dc.subjectFemale
dc.subjectFood Supply
dc.subjectFood, Fortified
dc.subjectHumans
dc.subjectHunger
dc.subjectInfant
dc.subjectMale
dc.subjectMental Recall
dc.subjectNutrition Surveys
dc.subjectNutritional Status
dc.subjectQuestionnaires
dc.subjectSouth Africa
dc.subjectZea mays
dc.titleThe National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS): South Africa, 1999
dc.typeConference Paper
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