Livestock production, animal source food intake, and young child growth: the role of gender for ensuring nutrition impacts.

Animal source foods (ASF) provide critical micronutrients in highly bioavailable forms, with the potential to efficiently address undernutrition among young children living in developing countries. There is limited evidence for how livestock ownership might increase ASF intake in poor households either through own-consumption or income generation. Along with lack of nutrition knowledge, gender dimensions may affect the pathways leading from livestock ownership to child ASF intake and ultimately to young child growth. Using data from a large-scale impact evaluation conducted in Kenya, this study tested the hypothesis that co-owned/female-owned livestock would be associated with improved child growth, mediated by increases in ASF consumption. Data were collected from September 2010 to January 2011 from households in six provinces in Kenya on a broad range of agricultural, economic, social, health and nutrition factors. Children ages 6-60 months were included in this analysis (n = 183). In this sample, co-owned/female-owned livestock was valued at 18,861 Kenyan shillings in contrast with male-owned livestock valued at 66,343 Kenyan shillings. Multivariate linear regression models showed a positive association between co-owned/female-owned livestock with child weight-for-age z score (WAZ) after adjusting for caregiver education level, income, child age, and child sex. A mediating effect by child ASF intake was evident, explaining 25% of the relationship of livestock ownership with child WAZ, by Sobel-Goodman test (p < .05). A trend towards significance was demonstrated for co-owned/female-owned livestock and height-for-age z score (HAZ), and no effect was apparent for weight-for-height z score (WHZ). The partial mediating effect may be indicative of other factors inherent in co-owned/female-owned livestock such as higher status of females in these households with greater influence over other child care practices promoting growth. Nonetheless, our study suggests targeting females in livestock production programming may better ensure improvements in child nutrition.

Jin M ，Iannotti LL 《-》

Small-Scale Livestock Production in Nepal Is Directly Associated with Children's Increased Intakes of Eggs and Dairy, But Not Meat.

Broaddus-Shea ET ，Manohar S ，Thorne-Lyman AL ，Bhandari S ，Nonyane BAS ，Winch PJ ，West KP Jr ... -  《Nutrients》

Child height gain is associated with consumption of animal-source foods in livestock-owning households in Western Kenya.

Mosites E ，Aol G ，Otiang E ，Bigogo G ，Munyua P ，Montgomery JM ，Neuhouser ML ，Palmer GH ，Thumbi SM ... -  《-》

Animal milk sustains micronutrient nutrition and child anthropometry among pastoralists in Samburu, Kenya.

Milk has been integral to pastoralist nutrition for thousands of years, but as communities move toward settled livelihoods, milk consumption is dropping with only minimal evidence for the health and nutrition implications. This longitudinal study aimed to first test whether increased dependency on agriculture reduced household milk production and consumption, and ultimately, nutrient adequacy among the Samburu pastoralists. Second, we investigated whether household milk availability affected child milk intakes and anthropometry. Socioeconomic and dietary intake data were collected from households (n = 200) in 2000, 2005, and 2010, and anthropometric measures and individual child milk intakes in 2012. Nutrient intakes were assessed by the probability of nutrient adequacy method, and generalized least-squared regression modeling with mixed effects was applied to identify predictors of milk consumption. Milk contributed 10% of energy intakes, below maize (52%) and sugar (11%), but over one-half of critical micronutrients, vitamins A, B12 , and C. Livestock holdings and income increased the likelihood of higher milk intakes (overall adj R(2)  = 0.88, P < 0.001). Undernutrition was widely prevalent among young children: stunting (30.6%); underweight (23.9%); and wasting (8.6%). There was evidence for a previously described Nilotic body type in the youth, who were taller and thinner than the international reference. Milk consumption at the household level was positively associated with higher body mass index z scores among youth (P < 0.001). Programming for livestock development may better ensure micronutrient nutrition in Samburu, while deeper investigation into the diet and growth patterns of pastoralists could provide insight into leaner and taller anthropometrics for other populations globally.

Iannotti L ，Lesorogol C 《-》

MILK Symposium review: Milk consumption is associated with better height and weight in rural Nepali children over 60 months of age and better head circumference in children 24 to 60 months of age.

Child undernutrition afflicts >150 million children worldwide, contributing to poor child growth, increased risk of infections, and loss of developmental potential. Animal-source foods (ASF) can ameliorate these problems by providing high-quality, high-density, and bioavailable protein and micronutrients. However, many children in developing countries lack ASF in their diet, although generally milk is the ASF most often consumed. Nevertheless, the relation of ASF-and that of specific ASF-to child growth in these contexts has been difficult to define, as has the association between diet and child and household factors in influencing growth outcomes. To better understand these relationships, we evaluated child growth by age groups (6-23 mo, 24-60 mo, and >60 mo) in relation to ASF consumption in rural Nepal. We used an observational study design that leveraged a data set generated through a 3-yr longitudinal controlled impact evaluation of a community-development intervention. Child anthropometry and 24-h diet recall were obtained at 5 household visits. At baseline, children were generally undernourished: 47% were stunted, 46% underweight, 17% wasted, and 24% microcephalic. Patterns of undernutrition varied with age but improved somewhat over time. Over the 3-yr period of study (9,283 observations), ASF were consumed infrequently: milk in 28% of assessments, meat in 27%, and eggs in 15%. Consumption patterns differed by age group, with younger children (6-23 mo) consuming more milk and less meat than children 24 to 60 or >60 mo. Consumption of even a single ASF at any of the 5 surveys was associated with greater growth in bivariate analysis. After adjustment for household (group assignment, survey round and its interaction, wealth, income, livestock and land ownership, maternal education) and child factors (age, sex, baseline anthropometry), mixed-effect linear regression analysis showed that milk consumption related to higher height for age and weight for age z-scores for children >60 mo of age and to higher head circumference z-score for children age 24 to 60 mo. For children >60 mo, egg consumption also related to higher weight z-scores. Household and child factors also influenced these outcomes. Of the ASF, milk had the strongest and most consistent relationship to child growth. Better measures of diet intake could reveal stronger associations between diet consumption patterns and child growth. Regardless, milk may be a key ASF to target for growth promotion among undernourished rural Nepali children.

Miller LC ，Neupane S ，Joshi N ，Lohani M ... -  《-》