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Associations among Food Systems, Food Environments, Food Choices, Food Security and Nutrition Transition in Adults in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study
Nedzingahe, V.; Tambe, B.A.; Zuma, M.K.; Mbhenyane, X.G. Associations among Food Systems, Food Environments, Food Choices, Food Security, and Nutrition Transition in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2023, 20, 6557.
Nedzingahe, V.; Tambe, B.A.; Zuma, M.K.; Mbhenyane, X.G. Associations among Food Systems, Food Environments, Food Choices, Food Security, and Nutrition Transition in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 6557.
Nedzingahe, V.; Tambe, B.A.; Zuma, M.K.; Mbhenyane, X.G. Associations among Food Systems, Food Environments, Food Choices, Food Security, and Nutrition Transition in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health2023, 20, 6557.
Nedzingahe, V.; Tambe, B.A.; Zuma, M.K.; Mbhenyane, X.G. Associations among Food Systems, Food Environments, Food Choices, Food Security, and Nutrition Transition in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 6557.
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was applied to investigate the influence of food systems and food environments on food choices and nutrition transition of households in Limpopo province, South Africa. A sample of 429 households were systematically selected using a paper selection draw from three districts. Food systems, food environments, food choices, and nutritional measurements of the households and informants were assessed, using a validated questionnaire. Most of the household informants responsible for food procurement were females (80.4%). There was a significant association (p < 0.001) between proximity to food stores and dietary diversity of the households. Staple foods were available in almost all surveyed households (95.6%). More than half of the households (59.8%) had home gardens in their yards. Almost half of the households (48.4%) had a low Dietary Diversity Score. The study revealed that 46.0% of households were food secure. Over a third (36.2%) of households’ informants were obese and 32.5% were diabetic. The mean total blood cholesterol was 3.69 ± 0.74 mmol/L. A high percentage of both females (89.6%) and males (91.5%) had normal haemoglobin levels. Most of the informants had normal systolic blood pressure levels (63%), with just over half who had high diastolic levels (57%). The 25 coping strategies were applied during food shortages periods. Even though the food environments provided both obesogenic and protective foods, the consumption of unhealthy foods was high.
Keywords
Food environments; Food systems; Food security; Dietary intake; Nutritional status; Nutrition transition; Household; South Africa
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Other
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
