NUTRITIONAL-STATUS OF RURAL CHILDREN IN THE LESOTHO HIGHLANDS

A baseline cross-sectional study was done to evaluate the nutritional status of the population of the Mohale Dam catchment area before const ruction of the dam commenced. In this article we report on the anthrop ometric, clinical and dietary assessment of the children less than 15 years of age in the study population. A two stage stratified sampling technique was used to randomly select 29 of the 83 villages in the stu dy area. Children under 15 years of age from 395 households, represent ing approximately 50% of households in the selected villages, were inc luded in the study. Anthropometric measurements of body height and wei ght in relation to age and sex indicated undernutrition varying, with few exceptions, from high to very high levels in children under 15 yea rs. Stunting, indicating chronic undernutrition, was of particular con cern in children, even from the first year of life. Very few clinical signs of nutritional deficiencies were found except for a goitre preva lence of 17.5% in 10 to 14 year old children. This was supported by th e very low urinary iodine excretion (median 1.3 mu g/dL) which indicat ed a severe iodine deficiency. Dietary evaluation showed high initiati on rates of breastfeeding as well as a long duration of breastfeeding, Complementary foods were introduced at an early age, resulting in low exclusive breastfeeding rates. Regular meals were reported but qualit ative analysis of the diet showed that a too small variety of foods we re eaten, with an irregular intake of protein-rich foods and milk. Qua ntitative data on 3-<5-year-old children showed that micro-nutrient in takes were low and that the energy intake of these children was inadeq uate. The results showed that these nutritionally vulnerable children should be monitored for the impact of the dam construction on their nu tritional status.