Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics
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Browsing Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics by Author "Mahopo, T. C."
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Item Embargo Anthropometric status, dietary intake and uric acid levels in adults aged 40 to 60 years residing in Giyani Location of Greater Giyani Municipality in Mopani District, Limpopo Province(2026-05-19) Shilubane, Fikela; Motadi, S. A.; Mahopo, T. C.Background: Elevated serum uric acid levels (hyperuricemia) are influenced by several dietary and lifestyle factors, including high intake of sugar, alcohol, and purine-rich foods. Hyperuricemia is a major risk factor for gout, an inflammatory condition that has become increasingly prevalent in developing countries. Effective management of hyperuricemia often requires lifestyle modifications, with or without pharmacological intervention. Despite growing global concern, limited data exist on the dietary patterns, anthropometric status, and uric acid levels of adults in rural South African communities. The aim of this study was to assess the anthropometric status, dietary intake, and uric acid levels in adults aged 40 years and above residing in the Giyani location of Greater Giyani Municipality in Mopani District, Limpopo Province. Method: The study employed a cross-sectional design, with a quantitative research approach. A simple random sampling method was used to select the communities, while convenience sampling was employed to select the participants. The following variables were measured: socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometric status, dietary intake, serum uric acid level, and blood pressure. Data was collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire. The data were initially captured in Microsoft Excel and then exported to the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY), version 29, for further analysis, including the biochemical measurements. Independent T-tests were used for comparison. Measures were implemented to ensure the validity and reliability of the instruments, and ethical standards were adhered to in order to protect the rights of the participants. The formula yielded 394 participants, and an additional 10% (39) was added to account for attrition. The total sample size was 433 participants. Results: Hyperuricemia was most prevalent among participants aged 40–44 years (40.4%) and 51–60 years (34.1%). A notably higher prevalence was observed in females (63.4%) compared to males (18.1%), emphasizing a significant sex-related difference that warrants further investigation into the determinants such as biological and sociocultural. Employed participants exhibited a higher prevalence (59.2%), as did those from larger households, particularly families with five members (52.3%). Elevated uric acid levels were found in 82% of participants. Of these, 20% were overweight and 73% were obese. Waist circumference was very high in 67%, high in 20%, and normal in 13%. Additionally, 57% had high blood pressure. Strong positive correlations were observed between BMI and uric acid (r = 0.6124), BMI and waist circumference (r = 0.6880), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.8772). Moderate correlations existed between waist circumference and uric acid (r = 0.4425), BMI and systolic (r = 0.3999), and BMI and diastolic pressure (r = 0.3845). Weak correlations were found between dietary diversity score and both uric acid (r = 0.0524) and BMI (r = 0.0527). Conclusion: This study investigated the anthropometric status, dietary intake, and uric acid levels among adults aged 40 and above in Giyani, Limpopo Province. The results showed a high prevalence of elevated uric acid levels, overweight and obesity, and very high waist circumference among participants. Most participants had low dietary diversity. Significant associations were found between hyperuricemia and body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, and lifestyle behaviours such as physical inactivity, poor sleep, and inadequate weight control. These findings align with existing literature linking hyperuricemia to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disorders.Item Open Access Nutritional status and milestone development of children aged 3 to 5 years attending early childhood development centres at Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality(2024-09-06) Khumalo, Mthokozisi; Mushaphi, L. F.; Mahopo, T. C.; Mbhatsani, H. V.Introduction: Nutritional status is vital for overall health and development in children. Anthropometry, reflecting health and nutritional status, predicts performance and survival. Children's development follows unique trajectories, with specific milestones achieved universally. This study explores the nutritional status and milestone development of preschoolers. Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed, clustering the Chief Albert Luthuli municipality into four circuits. Four Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers were randomly chosen from each cluster. Utilising Slovin’s formula, the sample size was determined, resulting in 353 participants. Participants were children attending ECD centers, while caregivers and ECD teachers were informants. Data were collected via a questionnaire and three 24-hour recalls assessing dietary diversity. Anthropometric measurements were taken using standard techniques, and developmental screening was conducted using the Developmental Assessment of Young Children-Second Edition (DAYC-2). Inferential statistics determined associations between nutritional status and milestone development. Results: Regarding household characteristics, the study found varying levels of access to resources such as land for food production and improved water sources. Notably, most households relied on electricity (94%) for cooking, while a portion of households still used wood (62%) as the primary cooking fuel, which has implications for indoor air quality and environmental sustainability. Across three visits, most children exhibited high dietary diversity scores (DDS) (63-77%). Commonly consumed food groups included meat and fish (72-78%), milk and dairy products (68-73%), with organ meat (5-8%) and eggs (6-13%) less frequent. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting varied, with stunting at 17.9%, underweight at 19.9%, and wasting at 23.2%. Approximately 8% showed suspected developmental delays, notably in physical fine motor skills (27%). Positive correlations were found between weight-for-height (wasting) and general development index (GDI) (p=0.00) as well as between DDS and GDI (p=0.00). Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition varied, with wasting being notably high. Physical fine motor skills showed lower scores in a significant proportion of children. However, most children met the expected milestones across developmental domains. Significant associations were observed between anthropometric indicators, DDS, and milestone development. These findings underscore the importance of addressing nutritional status and milestone development in preschool-aged children for their overall well-being and development.Item Open Access The influence of water, sanitation and hygiene and feeding practices on growth status and antibiotic resistance in infants aged 0-6 months in Dzimauli rural villages(2026-05-19) Ramalepe, Audrey Kgomotso; Nesamvuni, C. N.; Mahopo, T. C.; Masia, T. A.Malnutrition and antibiotic resistance remain critical and interconnected public health challenges in low- and middle-income countries, particularly during early infancy. This study explored the influence of water, sanitation and hygiene practices and feeding practices on growth status and antibiotic resistance in infants aged 0-6 months in the Dzimauli rural villages, Limpopo Province, South Africa. A prospective cohort design was used, involving 156 mother-infant pairs who were followed monthly from birth to six months. Data were collected using structured questionnaires assessing socio-demographic characteristics, water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, and feeding practices, alongside monthly anthropometric measurements and stool sample analyses to determine antibiotic resistance patterns in Escherichia coli. Generalised estimating equations were used to examine associations between water, sanitation and hygiene practices and growth outcomes, while multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with multidrug resistance. Ethical approval was obtained from relevant university committees and provincial authorities, and written informed consent was secured from all participants, with confidentiality maintained through coded data and secure storage. Results showed that exclusive breastfeeding practices declined sharply from 71.0% in month one to 2.0% by month six. Although most infants had normal growth indicators, progressive declines in length-for-age z-scores and weight-for-age z-scores were observed over time. After adjustment, the water, sanitation and hygiene practices were not significantly associated with growth outcomes, despite temporal growth faltering. High resistance to tetracycline and cefepime (70.9%) was observed, and multidrug resistance was detected in 23.6% of infants. No independent predictors of multidrug resistance were identified in adjusted models, partly due to limited sample size and sparse data. The study highlights the coexistence of growth faltering and early-life antibiotic resistance in rural settings and underscores the need for integrated interventions that strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene practices infrastructure, promote optimal infant feeding practices, and support antimicrobial stewardship to improve child health outcomes.