Joyce Kinabo

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor at Sokoine University of Agriculture

Background Adequate fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake is important for health, yet populations globally are failing to meet recommendations. Objective A scoping review to summarize available evidence of evaluations of interventions to increase F&V intake globally, focusing on target populations, intervention strategies, research methods, and summar...

Evaluation of the quality of complementary flour and its nutritional adequacy in relation to infant’s nutritional requirements was done to four different types of complementary flour (composite cereals with groundnuts, maize, millet and sorghum). The collected samples were analysed for determination of macronutrient, micronutrients and phytate cont...

Globally, the intake of fruit and vegetables (F&V) is far below the recommended levels, contributing to various health challenges including micronutrient deficiencies and non‐communicable diseases. In Tanzania, where the triple burden of malnutrition persists, there is a need to identify gaps in evidence, better understand diets and F&V intake and...

Background Governments around the world collect food price data on a frequent basis, often monthly, for the purpose of monitoring inflation. These routine economic data can be used with a nutrition-sensitive lens for understanding economic access to a healthy diet. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has adopted the cost and...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of nutrient intake assessment with the food group-based algorithm "Calculator of Inadequate Micronutrient Intake" (CIMI) in comparison to the established nutrition software NutriSurvey. Using Food Frequency Questionnaires and 24-h dietary recalls of 1010 women from two rural districts in Tanzania,...

Background Women's empowerment is one critical pathway through which agriculture can impact women's nutrition; however, empirical evidence is still limited. We evaluated the associations of women's participation, input, and decision-making in key agricultural and household activities with women's diet quality. Methods We analyzed data from a cross...

Abiotic and biotic stresses impair the productivity of agricultural crops. Among abiotic stresses, the higher temperature (i.e., heat stress) is unfavourable for plant growth and development. In recent years, the mungbean [ Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] demand has been increasing, which can satisfy human protein requirements. However, its productivit...

A reasonable plant‐based protein supply needs to be found in order to fight protein undernourishment, especially in developing nations. One of the most prominent and underutilized members of the Fabaceae family, moth bean ( Vigna aconitifolia L.), has outstanding nutritional and bioactive components. Moth bean is a tropical crop and has ability to...

Women sustain household health by operationalizing and maximizing nutrition through food preparation. Thus, information and the women's knowledge on nutrient adequacy of meals prepared at home is crucial for the design, implementation and performance of nutrition interventions. However, there is limited evidence on the adequacy of homemade compleme...

There is growing evidence that home vegetable gardening interventions improve food security and nutrition outcomes at the family level. Sustainability of many of these community interventions remain a challenge. This study assessed factors influencing the sustainability of homestead vegetable production intervention in Rufiji district, Tanzania, on...

Grain legumes or pulses, including lentil (Lens culinaris Medik), have gained increasing popularity among consumers and food processors in recent years. This trend has been driven by the consumers opting for plant‐based proteins and environmentally sustainable food sources. Global production of lentils has more than doubled since 2001 (from 3.15 to...

Background There is growing evidence that home vegetable gardening interventions improve food security and nutrition outcomes at the family level. This study assessed factors influencing the sustainability of homestead vegetable production intervention in Rufiji district, Tanzania, one year after the cessation of external support. Methods This was...

Homestead food production (HFP) programs may improve diet and nutrition outcomes by increasing availability of nutrient dense foods such as vegetables and supporting livelihoods. We conducted a pair-matched cluster-randomized controlled trial to investigate whether vegetable home gardens could improve women’s dietary diversity, household food secur...

The present manuscript describes the validation of a food knowledge questionnaire (FKQ) for Tanzanian childbearing age women. The FKQ was derived from the Ugandan version and was adapted according to Tanzanian culture and food habits, including 114 closed-ended questions, divided into five different sections. The FKQ was administered to 671 Tanzani...

A wide range of dry beans and other pulses are produced and consumed in Africa. In most African countries pulses are referred to as “poor man's meat.” These legume crops are grown for subsistence and consumed by most families in Africa almost on a daily basis. In recent years, many gains have been made for example with iron bio-fortification, fast...

African pastoralists are undergoing significant changes in livelihood strategies, from predominantly mobile pastoralism to agro-pastoralism in which both livestock raising and cultivation of crops are practiced, to agro-pastoralism combined with wage labor and petty trade. These changes often result in fixed settlements or a process known as sedent...

Inadequate macro- and micronutrient nutrition and its consequences, such as anaemia, iron and vitamin deficiency, and growth retardation, could particularly affect children of small-scale farmers. In the present cross-sectional study, 666 school children aged 5–10 years from villages of Chamwino and Kilosa districts were studied for associations be...

Homestead food production (HFP) programmes improve the availability of vegetables by providing training in growing nutrient-dense crops. In rural Tanzania, most foods consumed are carbohydrate-rich staples with low micronutrient concentrations. This cluster-randomized controlled trial investigated whether women growing home gardens have higher diet...

Background Women's dietary diversity and quality are limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Nutrition-sensitive interventions that promote food crop diversity and women's access to income could improve diets and address the double burden of malnutrition in LMICs. Objectives We examined the associations among food crop diversity and w...

A study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of a nutrition education intervention among women residing in the villages of Dodoma and Morogoro regions of Tanzania. Prior to the intervention, a baseline survey was conducted in July-August 2016. The survey involved 663 women who completed a pre-test assessment for nutrition knowledge and pract...

Background Agriculture can influence diets through consumption of home-produced foods or increased purchasing power derived from sale of agricultural commodities. Objective This article explores cross-sectional relationships between agricultural diversification and dietary diversity (a proxy for micronutrient adequacy) among women of reproductive...

Livestock production at homestead level is widely reported as an important pathway to achieve optimal consumption of Animal Source Foods (ASF) in a household. However, the empirical evidence is limited. This paper examines the extent of homestead livestock production and consumption of ASF by rural farming communities in four villages of Dodoma and...

Background: A study was conducted in Zanzibar using ProPAN software to assess nutrient adequacy of foods given to infants and children aged 6-23 months old in Zanzibar. Methodology: The 24-hr dietary recall method embedded in ProPAN software was used to determine the adequacy of energy, protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin A in foods consume...

Dietary-related conditions are preventable only if people have better understanding of factors that underpin their dietary choices. A cross-sectional study was carried out to examine levels and gaps of nutrition knowledge and practices (KPs) of 663 mothers/caregivers in rural households of Tanzania. Results indicated that, only 14% of the populatio...

Inadequate consumption of micronutrient-dense foods such as vegetables and meat are an important contributing cause for anemia and deficiencies of iron and vitamin A in rural communities of Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 to examine nutritional and micronutrient status and their associations to the diet of female small-scale...

Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices determine infant growth, development and health. Despite global recommendations for exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) until 6‐months, adherence rates are low worldwide for different reasons, largely dependent on environment. In low‐income countries, inappropriate IYCF leads to poor nutrition status. This...

Objective The present study’s aim was to assess the impact of a nutrition-sensitive intervention on dietary diversity and home gardening among non-participants residing within intervention communities. Design The study was a cross-sectional risk factor analysis using linear and logistic multivariate models. Setting In Tanzania, women and children...

The essential micronutrients in indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) could substantially contribute to the micronutrient supply in rural communities in Tanzania, but concentrations differ between species. Provitamin A carotenoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, minerals, and phytate were analysed in 13 different species using HPLC-, ICP-OES, and photome...

Child undernutrition is a major public health concern, claiming the lives of numerous children below five years of age in the developing world. The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with stunting of children of age 6 - 23 months in Dodoma Municipality and Chamwino District in Dodoma region. Dodoma region located in the ce...

Complementary foods are foods other than breast milk or infant formula (liquids, semisolids, and solids) introduced to an infant to provide nutrients as well as energy. To ensure sustainable consumption of the improved recipes, sensory evaluation is important to assess acceptability of the modified recipes among the targeted consumers or population...

Policies and programs often aim to improve the affordability of nutritious diets, but existing food price indexes are based on observed quantities that may not meet nutritional goals. To measure changes in the cost of reaching international standards of diet quality, we introduce a new cost of diet diversity index based on the lowest-cost way to in...

School children are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies. Micronutrient deficiencies during this period may lead to retarded growth, poor cognitive development, anaemia and increased risk of infections. This study aimed to assess the adequacy of zinc, iron and vitamin A, in diets consumed by school children aged 5-10 years in Chamwino and Kilos...

Background: Nutrition-sensitive interventions such as homestead production of diverse, nutrient-rich foods, coupled with behavior change communication, may have positive effects on the nutritional status and health of rural households engaged in agriculture, particularly among women and young children. Engagement of agriculture and health extensio...

The banana-based farming system of Kagera region of Tanzania has good edible food diversity. However, households still consume monotonous diets, which are mainly energy dense and have inadequate content of micronutrients. To enrich the preferred energy-rich diets, this study formulated dishes with improved content of vitamin A, iron and protein for...

Background: Indigenous foods, which contribute largely to the majority of the households' food basket in rural Tanzanian communities, have not been fully characterized or documented. Objectives: The study aimed to document foods available and consumed in Kilosa District, Tanzania, in an attempt to promote, revive use, and build evidence for sust...

Dietary diversity, anthropometrics and micronutrient status (Vitamin A, iron, zinc) among school children in rural areas inTanzania

Inadequate consumption of animal source foods, is a common problem in developing countries, Tanzania is inclusive. It is linked with persistence of Protein Energy malnutrition in the country. This study examined the extent of livestock production and consumption of animal source foods from diets consumed by rural households of Dodoma and Morogoro r...

Background: Undernutrition in children has remained a challenge despite the success achieved in reduction of other childhood diseases in Zanzibar. Most empirical studies on infants and young child feeding (IYCF) have examined nutritional value of foods fed to the children in terms of energy and micronutrient content. Little is known on the role of...

This paper analyzed stunting in children in Tanzania and its linkages to agro-climatic conditions and related factors, unraveling the complex interactions of determinants of under-nutrition in two contrasting regions of Tanzania. We used logistic regression models to establish relationships between stunting and multiple variables belonging to diffe...

Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (ILVs) analysed in this study are rich sources of carotenoids, vitamin C, α-tocopherol, Ca, Fe, Mg and Zn. Based on mean (female/male) recommended daily nutrient intake (RNI) for vitamin A (550 µgRE), iron (43mg) and zinc (11.9 mg), the average portion size reported by respondents (100g fresh weight, equivalent to 20g dr...

Objectives: Dietary diversity is known to be an important indicator for attaining micronutrient adequacy of a diet. Micronutrient malnutrition remains a significant problem in Tanzania, majority of these undernourished people live in rural areas of the country. Efforts to improve dietary quality require better understanding of people’s knowledge, b...

Iodine deficiency has solemn consequences on body growth and intellectual development. In Tanzania, 41% of the population is at risk of IDD and 30% of perinatal mortality is anticipated to be caused by iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency is the number one cause of preventable brain damage in children. The most cost-effective, safe and sustainable...

Dietary diversification is one of the strategies to address nutrient deficiencies. The study modified eight diets for children aged 6-23 months in order to improve diversify; vitamin A content and its bioaccessibility. All samples were analysed in triplicates. Three carotenes; all-trans α-carotene, 13-cis-β- carotene and all-trans β-carotene were d...

The Tanzanian economy depends heavily on agriculture and hence human labor provides much of the power needed for farming activities. This study was carried out to determine the diversity and dietary adequacy of farming households in four selected districts of Morogoro region in Tanzania. Adult household members from 140 households participated in t...

Essential fatty acids (EFA) are PUFA that are metabolised to long-chain PUFA and are important for brain development and cognitive function. The objective of this study was to determine the association between whole-blood EFA and cognitive function in Tanzanian children. A total of 325 2–6-year-old children attempted the dimensional change card sor...

A household cross-sectional survey of a sample of 120 households to analyze consumption practices and determinants of household dietary diversity in rural areas of differing agro-climatic conditions in Tanzania was conducted in four villages of Morogoro and Dodoma regions. The respondent was the mother/woman or any other person responsible for food...

Background: In Tanzania, 35% of all children below five years of age are stunted. Dietary fatty acids (FA) are critical for growth and development. However, whole blood FA levels in Tanzanian children are poorly described. Objective: The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to assess 1) whole blood levels of essential fatty acids and 2)...

Regression1 Results Between WHZ and Selected Fatty Acids. (DOCX)

Correlations between Variables1. (DOCX)

Regression1 Results Between WAZ and Selected Fatty Acids. (DOCX)

Child malnutrition is an urgent and complex issue and requires integrated approaches across agriculture, nutrition, and health. This issue has gained prominence at the global level. While national-level efforts are underway in many countries, there is little information on how to integrate at the community level. Here, we offer a community-based ap...

Food insecurity continues to be a major contributing factor to nutrition insecurity in developing countries. A nine item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was administered twice to 307 households among three agro-ecological zones in rural communities of Kilosa District-Tanzania to measure food security. Households were surveyed once du...

Some progress has been achieved in reducing the prevalence of undernutrition among children under 5 years of age in Tanzania. In the Rukwa region (2010), the level of stunted and underweight children was 50·4 and 13·5 %, respectively. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age, feeding practices and...

This chapter explains how foods can be grouped by their main nutrients into food groups, and how foods travel along ‘food paths’. The food groups used are: staple foods (cereals, starchy roots, tubers, and plantains); legumes, oilseeds, and nuts; vegetables; fruits; meat, poultry, offal, fish, seafoods, insects, and eggs; milks; oils and fats; suga...

This third edition of Nutrition for Developing Countries explains, in clear simple language and with many illustrations, how health and nutrition workers can help households to feed and care for all their members, particularly young children during their first 1000 days from conception to age 2 years, and girls and women of reproductive age. It giv...

Introduction: Few studies have investigated the relationship between dietary pattern and household food insecurity. The objective of the present analysis was to describe the food consumption patterns and to relate these with the prevalence of food insecurity in the context of a rural community. Methodology: Three hundred and seven (307) randomly...

Hypertension during pregnancy (HDP) is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality worldwide. This study examined prevalence and potential risk factors for HDP among pregnant women in Tanzania. We examined 910 pregnant women, aged at least 20 years, mean gestational age 27 weeks, from rural (n = 301) and urban (n = 609) areas, dur...

s-We systematically reviewed publications on prevalence and risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in the 47 countries of sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a systematic search in PUBMED and reviewed articles published until June 2014 and searched the references of retrieved articles. We explored sources of heterogeneity among prevalenc...

Background: Aflatoxin and fumonisin are toxic food contaminants. Knowledge about effects of their exposure and coexposure on child growth is inadequate. Objective: We investigated the association between child growth and aflatoxin and fumonisin exposure in Tanzania. Methods: A total of 166 children were recruited at 6-14 months of age and stud...

Patrick Kolsteren and colleagues present the findings of a collaborative effort by stakeholders in sub-Saharan Africa to identify priorities for nutrition research. They propose a new approach that stimulates demand from policy makers for research and holds them accountable for incorporating research into policy and practice. Please see later in th...

To estimate prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and associated determinants in urban and rural Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2011 through 2012 in selected urban and rural communities. Pregnant women (609 urban, 301 rural), who were not previously known to have diabetes, participated during usual ante-natal clini...

Measurement of basal metabolic rate (BMR) provides an important baseline for the determination of an individual’s total energy requirement. The study sought to establish human energy expenditure of rural farmers in Magubike village in Tanzania, through determination of BMR, physical activity level (PAL) and total energy expenditure (TEE). In additi...

Optimal nutrition is critical for human development and economic growth. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing high levels of food insecurity and only few sub-Saharan African countries are on track to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Effective research capacity is crucial for addressing emerging challenges and designing appropriate mitigation s...

ScopeThe study aims to evaluate the status of dietary exposure to aflatoxin and fumonisin in young Tanzanian children, using previously validated biomarkers of exposure. Methods and resultsA total of 148 children aged 12-22 months, were recruited from three geographically distant villages in Tanzania; Nyabula, Kigwa, and Kikelelwa. Plasma aflatoxin...

This chapter presents the various cooking and processing methods that have been used for common beans and pulses in African communities. The application of food science and technology principles to legume processing is discussed. Legume utilization in Eastern, Western and Southern Africa is reviewed, especially, foods based on both conventional and...

Employing diet and cuisine as analytical concepts, this article focuses on cultural categories and social meanings of food in Malinzanga village in southern Tanzania. Through analyses of access to foodstuffs, sequence of meals, and methods of preparation, the article shows how key elements in a basic meal structure are used locally to characterize...

The quality of labour force is very important for agricultural productivity and attainment of food self sufficiency in Tanzania. This study was carried out to determine the nutritional status of rural agricultural workers in two selected villages in Tanzania, with the aim of assessing the quality of agricultural labour force. Adult household member...

Cowpeas are grown for their leaves and grains both of which are used as relish or side dishes together with the staple food. Little information is available on the nutritional quality of local and improved cowpea varieties grown in Tanzania as well as the recipes in which they are ingredients. This study was done to investigate cowpea utilization i...

Poor nutritional status both for children and adults is highly prevalent in those parts of sub-Saharan Africa where maize is a dominant staple. Maize is not a complete food, and if the child’s diet is only based on white maize, it may be deficient in calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B12, vitamin E, vitamin K, folate, riboflavin, pantothenic a...

The influence of exercise on the thermic effect of food (TEF) was examined in 28 non-obese women using two different protocols. The energy expenditure of exercise (walking on a motor driven treadmill at 4.8 km/h and 0% gradient) at 50–55% VO2 max before and after ingestion of a high carbohydrate-low fat meal (2520kJ) was determined using the Dougla...

The need to develop the best off vine mango ripening technique for both consumption and processing was investigated. Some physical and chemical measurements were performed on mature Green Dodo mangoes before and during a 3-day and 6-day ripening period by smoked pit ripening (SPR), ethylene (fruit generated) pit ripening (EPR), untreated pit ripeni...

Care is increasingly being recognized as a crucial input to child health and nutrition, along with food security, availability of health services, and a healthy environment. Although significant gains have been made in the fight against malnutrition in Tanzania, the nutritional status of preschool children in urban areas is not improving. To assess...

Information on the nutrient content of foods commonly consumed (especially indigenous ones) in rural communities of Tanzania is limited. A study was conducted to determine the nutrient content of foods commonly consumed in the Iringa and Morogoro regions. A survey was carried out in six representative villages to identify the types of foods and to...

Studies that link adolescence pregnancies, nutritional status, and birth outcomes in Tanzania are scarce. We examined the nutritional status and birth outcomes of pregnant adolescent girls from rural and urban areas of three regions in Tanzania. The study was carried out in the regions of Dar es Salaam (Chamazi and Gezaulole dispensaries and Round...

Objectives. To examine the influence of season on the nutritional status, physical activity patterns and energy expenditure of rural women in Tanzania. Design. A longitudinal study design was carried out to monitor seasonal changes in physical activity pattern, energy expenditure and nutritional status in 100 non-pregnant non-lactating women living...

Anaemia is a very common condition during pregnancy. This is particularly so in developing countries where the level of intake of iron rich foods is low; malaria and other intestinal parasites are common. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of anaemia and the type of anaemia existing in pregnant women in Morogoro municipality. The...

The data of 19,783 full term singleton babies were examined to determine the effect of seasonal variation on birth weight. The mean birth weight was found to be 3020 +/- 502 g. Out of these births, 2354 (11.9%) babies weighed less than 2500 g. Birth weight and percentage low birth weight showed variation with season. Mean birth weight was low durin...

The effect of meal composition and energy content on the thermic effect of food (TEF) was investigated in sixteen adult, non-obese female subjects. Each subject consumed four different test meals, each meal on a different day. Meals were of high-carbohydrate-low-fat (HCLF) with 0.70, 0.19 and 0.11 of the energy content from carbohydrate, fat and pr...

The effect of meal frequency on the thermic effect of food (TEF), also referred to as dietary induced thermogenesis (DIT), was investigated in eighteen non-obese female subjects. Their metabolic rate before and after consuming the test meal was measured by open circuit indirect calorimetry using the Douglas bag technique, while the subjects were in...

Complementary foods in most developing countries are based on staple cereal or root crops. Although, commercial foods of high quality are occasionally available, they are often expensive and therefore unaffordable by low-income rural households. Different approaches are needed to offer families the opportunity to feed their infants on improved form...

This paper provides an overview of the nutritional situation in Africa and discusses briefly some of the factors that influence nutritional status of the different groups of the population. Malnutrition in Africa is increasing due to various factors, some of which involve the changing global economic policies. Perspectives of globalisation in relat...