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| Title: | Climatic Seasonality and Growth: Longitudinal research in Coast Province, Kenya |
| Authors: | Niemeijer, R. Klaver, W. |
| Book title: | Seasons, Food Supply and Nutrition in Africa |
| Year: | 1990 |
| Pages: | 30-65 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Kenya |
| Discipline: | Health, Nutrition |
| Subjects: | seasonality nutrition food Seasons Human Growth |
| Abstract: | The authors discuss seasonal fluctuations in the nutritional condition of young children and their mothers in Coast Province, Kenya, and relate these fluctuations to ecotypes and household welfare levels. The study is based on nutrition surveys carried out as part of the Leiden African Studies Centre Food and Nutrition Studies Programme between July 1985 and September 1986 in Kwale and Kilifi Districts. Six communities were selected from the three most populated agroecological zones: the coconut-cassava zone, the cashew nut-cassava zone, and the livestock-millet zone. Anthropometric measures included in the study were height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference and age. The children showed a different seasonality pattern than the adult women. While the women tended to have low weights during the long rains, the children seemed to have a spurt in height growth during the dry season coupled to weight loss because of low food supply and a spurt in weight growth during the long rains. This would suggest that weight growth of children is food related while height growth is mainly health related. The difference in the seasonal patterns of the nutritional status of children and adult women further supports the contention that the seasonal shifts in weight among adult women do not reflect health or food supply fluctuations, but seasonal variation in labour requirements. Bibliogr., notes, ref. |