Effects of an Indigenous Food Diet on Nutritional Outcomes for Under-Five Children in Early Childhood Development Centres, Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Pretest-Posttest Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Access to an adequate diet is a key criterion for improving nutritional status. Indigenous food (IF) can play a big role in improving dietary variety in rural populations. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of an IF diet for under-five children in Early childhood development (ECD) centres.Method: A one-group pretest-posttest experimental design study was undertaken in three ECD centres from three different villages of Sekhukhune district, the former Fetakgomo municipality, in Limpopo, South Africa. An IF diet intervention was implemented for a period of six months with 253 children aged 0-5 attending three ECD centres. Anthropometric measurements were taken pre-introduction of an IF diet and post-intervention. The dependent sample t-Test was used to compare the pre- and post-anthropometric measures, and a p-valueResults: Significant improvement in the nutritional outcomes of the participating children were recorded, a majority (50%) of who were aged three. The study showed significant differences in pre- and post-anthropometric measurements for weight pConclusion: The adapted IF diet is shown to be effective for the nutritional outcomes of children and can be used to promote the use of IF and address nutritional deficiencies amongst under-five children in Limpopo, South Africa.