Browsing by Author "Steyn, Nelia"
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Item Consumption patterns of street food consumers in Cape Town(South African Association of Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences (SAAFECS)., 2016) Hill, Jillian; Mchiza, Zandile; Fourie, Jean; Puoane, Thandi; Steyn, NeliaStreet foods (SF) contribute significantly to the diet of people living in low- and middle-income countries, however there is a paucity of data on consumption patterns of SF. Since many South Africans consume SF regularly, it is important to determine their purchasing habits, food choices, and nutrition knowledge. A cross-sectional survey conducted in Cape Town metropolitan area, with trained fieldworkers using a structured questionnaire on 1121 SF consumers. The first ten clients who visited a randomly-sampled SF vendor were approached and invited to participate. Data were analysed using IBM Statistics SPSS version 23. Most consumers were black, male, single, and had some high-school education and/or matriculated. Main findings indicated that 38% of these consumers consumed SF almost daily, 43.3% consumed SF frequently (2-3 times per week) and 29% spent between R600 and R899 per month on SF. Items purchased most often in descending order of frequency were fruit, foods and baked products, cold drinks, sweets, peanuts, crisps, fruit juice, biscuits, and chocolates. If healthier SF were available, 96% consumers indicated they would purchase these, with fruit, meat/chicken and vegetable stew, yoghurt and nuts being preferred options. There is a large market for SF consumers in Cape Town. However, most food items consumed, with the exception of fruit and peanuts, are unhealthy by virtue of their high sugar and fat content. SF consumers are however, willing to purchase healthier foods, should these be available.Item “Feeding a child slowly:” a responsive feeding behavior component likely to reduce stunting: Population-based observations from rural Zambia(Taylor & Francis, 2017) Mugode, Raider H.; Puoane, Thandi; Michelo, Charles; Steyn, NeliaZambia has a very high prevalence of stunting (40%). Child feeding behaviors such as “feeding the child slowly” are now receiving attention in addressing child undernutrition, particularly stunting. A study was undertaken in two rural areas of Zambia and mothers of 295 children 6–24 months old were questioned about their feeding behaviors including “feeding a child slowly.” The study found reduced stunting among children older than one year who were fed slowly, had been dewormed, and consumed thicker (more energy-dense) foods. It is recommended that these feeding practices should be incorporated in health promotion interventions to reduce the burden of malnutrition.Item Perceptions about body image and sizes among Black African girls living in Cape Town(International Society on Hypertension in Blacks, 2010) Puoane, Thandi; Tsolekile, Lungiswa; Steyn, NeliaOBJECTIVE: To assess beliefs about body size (fatness and thinness) and body image in Black girls aged 10–18 years living in Cape Town. DESIGN: Exploratory using qualitative methods. SETTING: Cape Town, South Africa. METHOD: Participants were Black African girls (n5240), aged 10–18 years, who attended 5 primary and 6 high schools in Black townships in Cape Town. The schools and the girls were randomly selected. This paper presents qualitative data from 6 focus groups among 60 girls regarding their beliefs about thinness and fatness, and the advantages and disadvantages of being overweight or thin. RESULTS: Beliefs regarding body image indicate that two thirds of the girls perceived fatness as a sign of happiness and wealth. Socially, fatness was accepted but one third of the girls had contradictory views about its advantages. Among obese girls who believed that being obese was preferable, the dominant reasons were that being fat allowed one to engage in sport activities that need strength and also makes one look respectable. On the other hand fatness was viewed as associated with diseases such as diabetes and hypertension and with increased difficulty in finding appropriate clothing sizes. Three quarters of the girls associated thinness with ill health particularly HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis. An advantage of thinness was being less prone to develop chronic non-communicable diseases. CONCLUSION: The study shows that opinions and beliefs about body image start in adolescence. It is therefore important to consider these perceptions when designing interventions for preventing obesity and other chronic non-communicable diseases during early childhood