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Objective: The purpose of this paper is to describe social and economic changes related to shifts in diet and activity and to present prevalences for chronic diseases associated with the nutrition transition., Design: Observations about social changes are descriptive, based on published reports and personal observations. Prevalence and trends data are based on a Ministry of Health published report and, for infants and toddlers, on primary data., Setting: Disease prevalences for diabetes mellitus and hypertension are taken from four sites, representing underdeveloped, semi-developed and well-developed rural communities and Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. The prevalences of underweight and overweight for infants and toddlers are taken from a small periurban clinic in Tanzania., Subjects: Adults over 15 years of age are included in the prevalence data for chronic disease. The urban sample is stratified by occupation and ethnicity. The data for infants and toddlers include newborns to those aged 23 months., Results: An increase in the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension was observed. Simultaneously, there have been rapid changes in diet and physical activity related to urbanisation and modernisation. The highest prevalences for diabetes and hypertension were among high-ranking executives., Conclusion: The increase in chronic disease could be related to the rise in the number of high-ranking executives. Simultaneously, per capita income has gone down, and malnutrition prevalence has risen. Programmes are being developed to simultaneously monitor trends in overweight while preventing protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency.

One of the most common public health issues affecting both children and adults in poor nations is malnutrition. Malnutrition is frequently attributed to food insecurity or a lack of access to enough food. Malnutrition is a serious issue in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, that requires attention. More cases of malnutrition than any other category are caused by protein-energy deficiencies. Compared to plant-based protein, animal protein offers essential amino acids in a better pattern. Nonetheless, it is a significant problem to produce enough animal proteins to feed the expanding global population of 9 billion people. Throughout the months of November and December each year, the Kagera region of Tanzania collects a large number of edible grasshoppers (Ruspolia differens) from the Muleba and Bukoba Districts. Grasshoppers processed in different methods are a rich source of nutrients such as protein (7.80-44.70%), fat (36.30-83.00%), fibre (8.70-11.20), ash (2.20-2.40%), total carbohydrates (5.30-12.10%), total energy (614-807 Kcal/100 g), Ca (35.80-55.00 mg/100 g), P (305.40-496.80 mg/100 g), Mg (33.30-56.50 mg/100 g), Fe (12.90-179.10 mg/100 g), Cu (1.60-2.30 mg/100 g), Mn (2.90-5.30 mg/100 g), Zn (8.50-18.40 mg/100 g) and Co (28.60-33.10 mg/100 g). The Kagera region's residents roast these insects and either consume them alone or in combination with other dishes like bananas. A few months after collection, grasshoppers begin to spoil due to their perishability. The shelf life of these products could be increased by at least a year with the right processing methods. In order to battle hunger and raise the community's revenue, these grasshoppers are a great source of nutrients that may be utilized to augment other crops with low nutritional value, such as bananas, cassava, rice, millets, sorghum and maize. In order to combat malnutrition, this review will examine the research on the utilization of edible insects as alternate source of protein and micronutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The first 1000 days of life, from conception to the second birthday, offer a unique window of opportunity for optimal growth, critical for future health. The primary aim of this study was to analyze growth of children between 12 and 24 months age in Tanzanian children, and to explore possible predictors for growth.Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study performed between March and April 2017. Eligible children, and their mothers, attended routine follow-up at two health clinics in Tanga, Tanzania. At the study day, the child's weight and height were recorded. The mothers answered a structured interview regarding breastfeeding, immunization and socioeconomic conditions.Results: We recruited 300 mother-child pairs. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] age at study visit was 16 (14-20) months. Mothers reported that 170 (57%) of their children were exclusively breastfed for a minimum of 6 months; median (IQR) 6 (4-6) months. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) standard growth curves, mean weight-for-age Z-score was -0.30 and mean length-for-age Z-score was -0.47. Children whose mothers had higher education had higher Z-scores for weight and length compared to children of mothers with lower education. Education remained the most important predictor for growth also after adjusting for other variables. Overall, 48/300 (16%) were moderate-severe stunted and 25/300 (8.4%) had moderate-severe underweight.Conclusion: Children aged 12-24 months in this region of Tanzania had weight and height below the WHO standard. Higher educated mothers had children with better growth parameters. Duration of exclusive breastfeeding was long, but did not predict growth parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]