Impact of a nutrition education programme on nutrition knowledge and dietary practices of lower socioeconomic communities in the Free State and Northern Cape

Abstract

Objective: To determine the impact of a nutrition education programme, implemented using local nutrition advisors, on knowledge of nutrition and dietary practices in low-income coloured communities in the Free State and Northern Cape provinces. Study population and methods. A nutrition education and food aid programme was implemented for 2 years in one urban and three rural areas. Two rural control areas were included where food aid was given, but no nutrition education. Knowledge of nutrition and dietary practices were measured using a structured questionnaire before (608 respondents) and after intervention (672 respondents). Results: In contrast to control areas, knowledge of what to eat daily to remain healthy improved significantly by between 42.2% and 52.6% in rural intervention areas. The percentage of rural households that included three food groups (protective foods, energy foods and building foods) in their cooked meal improved by 32.6 - 38.8%. Improvements of between 7.0% and 12.9% were observed in the percentage of respondents who knew that milk is healthier to drink than non-dairy alternatives. The median percentage of household members using more than two cups of milk per day improved significantly, by between 14% and 100%. A significant improvement in vegetable and fruit intake was also observed. Conclusions: A community-based nutrition education programme can contribute to knowledge of balanced, economical nutrition and dietary practices in low-income communities.