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Micronutrient deficiencies are a public health concern affecting more than two billion people worldwide. When adequately consumed, vegetables avert the risk of micronutrient deficiencies. However, low intake of vegetables is common during the dry season due to scarcity and increased prices. This study, a follow-up to the EATSANE project in Teso South sub-county, aimed to assess factors influencing the consumption patterns of sun-dried vegetables among households in Teso South sub-county. The EaTSANE project used the Trials for Improved Practices (TIPs) approach to promote sun drying and consumption of sun-dried vegetables in the study area. This cross-sectional study involved collecting quantitative and qualitative data through interviews and focus group discussions. It targeted women from the TIPs (50) and non-TIPs households (50) of the EaTSANE project. The questionnaire respondent rate was 99% as only 49 women from the TIPs households could be found. The mean ages were 36.82[+ or -]11.56 and 34.94[+ or -]10.94 years for the TIPs and non-TIPs participants, respectively. Most TIPs (61.2%) and non-TIPs (56%) participants did not attain primary education and practiced crop farming. Consumption of sun-dried vegetables was reported by the TIPs participants (38.3%) only. The most preferred sun-dried vegetables were cowpea leaves, amaranth, nightshade, pumpkin leaves, jute mallow, and sun hemp, mostly consumed monthly (7.2%). Awareness of the sun-drying technology created by the EaTSANE's TIPs activities influenced the consumption of sun-dried vegetables [[X.sup.2] (4) = 35.233, p = .009]. There was no significant relationship between the consumption of sun-dried vegetables and the duration of sun-drying (p > 0.05). However, a chi-square test of independence showed that there was a significant relationship between consumption of sun-dried vegetables and confidence in preparing a meal using sun-dried vegetables [X.sup.2] (4, N=99) = 26.964, p = .000). A binary logistic regression analysis further showed that both the ease of preparing sun-dried vegetables (p = 0.006) and the confidence in preparing a meal comprising sun-dried vegetables (p =0.001) were significant ([X.sup.2] (2) = 34.9, p < 0.001). Sensory attributes including the color ([X.sup.2] (4, N=99) = 19.3, p = .001) and taste ([X.sup.2] (4, N=99) = 25.4, p = .000) of sun-dried vegetables were also significant in influencing their consumption. For improved consumption of sun-dried vegetables, there is a need to create more awareness of the sun-drying technology, especially among households that did not participate in EatSANE's TIPs activities. Key words: Micronutrient deficiencies, sun-dried vegetables, households, trials of improved practices, BACKGROUND The triple burden of malnutrition continues to be a public health concern, majorly affecting children and women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries. The United Nations Children's [...]

Food insecurity and malnutrition are often evident among the elderly population residing in low-income communities. This study is part of a broad collaborative investigation that recorded nutritional status, socio-demographic variables, and anthropometric indices from 2004 to 2014. The baseline was recorded for 2004, and a five-year follow-up was done for 2009, and 2014. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, over ten years, the dietary intake and nutritional status of elderly people in terms of anthropometric measurements at an elderly day care center, to determine if socio-demographic variables influence their diets, and if dietary intakes changed over the ten years. The study used a quantitative descriptive approach with a longitudinal cohort. This review only reflects the nutrient analysis of the diet amongst the cohort group (n=62). Measures included two 24-hour recalls assessing both the food and nutrient intake, as well as the dietary pattern of the cohort group. Results reflect many fluctuations in nutrient intake. Overall, participants consumed less energy, carbohydrates, and dietary fibre than dietary reference intakes (DRI), with protein intake above DRI during 2004 and 2009, but declining between 2009 and 2014. Micronutrient intake revealed calcium consistently below DRI, with variations in other nutrients over the years. Gender differences were significant for certain nutrients, with men generally consuming more niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin E as compared to women. Median nutrient intakes failed to meet average requirements, except for protein, carbohydrates, chromium, riboflavin, pantothenate and vitamin K. Only a few nutrients, such as niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin E reflected significant differences in values between the different genders. T-tests comparing nutrient averages between years found significant differences in fat intake between 2004 and 2009, and between 2009 and 2014, while protein differed significantly between 2009 and 2014. Other nutrients did not show significant differences across these periods, except for cholesterol and zinc between 2004 and 2014, and protein, fat, cholesterol, and zinc between 2009 and 2014. The collective picture reveals deficiencies, especially in key nutrients like zinc and iron, which fluctuated over a ten-year period. Analysis showed no significant difference in nutrient intake across the three periods, except for fat intake, which significantly differed between 2009 and 2014. Energy intake appeared to be higher from 2004 to 2009 but decreased notably by 2014. These findings underscore the importance of tailored dietary interventions to address nutrient deficiencies in aging populations, considering both individual needs and changing dietary patterns over time. Key words: Cohort, elderly, nutrient intake, food insecurity, dietary intake, care centre, INTRODUCTION Population ageing refers to the change in age groups present among the world's population and the number of elderly people is expected to increase from 600 million in 2000 [...]

A new mobile application with a new semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was developed as a quick dietary assessment tool. This study aimed to test the validation of food and nutrient intake measurements from an app-based FFQ, which included 49 dishes and food items, using non-consecutive two-day 24-hour diet recalls as the standard. A total of 179 women aged 19-70 years (mean (SD) = 33.7 (9.9)) from two rural areas of Kenya, Vihiga and Kitui counties, were included. Dietary assessment by the two dietary survey methods was conducted from November to December 2021. The intake of macro- and micronutrients, and food groups between the two methods were compared by Spearman's rank correlation coefficients, cross-classification agreement, and Bland-Altman plots for assessing the validation of the app-based FFQ. The median correlation coefficients between energy-adjusted intakes estimated by the app-based FFQ and the 24-h diet recall were 0.19 (0.10 (protein)-0.26 (fat)) for macronutrients, 0.24 (0.11 (sodium)-0.46 (vitamin B12)) for micronutrients, and 0.26 (0.07 (seasonings)-0.45 (pulses)) for 17-food groups. The median percentage of classification into the same quartiles between the two methods was 31% for macronutrient, 32% for micronutrient and 39% for food group. While 9% for macronutrient, 8% for micronutrient and 10% for the food group were misclassified into the opposite categories. Bland-Altman Plots showed acceptable agreement for macronutrients intake between the two methods. The app-based FFQ was shown to be able to rank or categorize individuals according to their intake of most of the nutrients and food groups we examined. This dietary assessment tool can be used for quantitative dietary data collection. Further research is needed to improve the validation of the app-based FFQ, as it has been shown that intakes of staple foods and sugar are underestimated and others are overestimated, and that estimating intakes of some specific nutrients, such as protein, is challenging. Key words: Diet assessment, food frequency questionnaire, 24-hour diet recall, validation, Kenya, INTRODUCTION Poor diet is a leading cause of disease [1, 2]. Although diet quality improved between 1990 and 2018 globally, it did not improve in sub-Saharan Africa [3]. In rural [...]