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Diet Quality pp 281–297Cite as

Diet Quality in Peri-urban Settlements: South African Aspects

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Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

Introduction: Studies have shown that poor dietary quality and diversity, evidenced by suboptimal food and nutrient intakes, is a feature of many developing countries, including South Africa. Peri-urban black women are particularly prone to poverty and low income, accompanied by poor socioeconomic circumstances, limited access to services, and also food insecurity—all major determinants of the health and nutrition outcomes evident in these areas. Dietary quality in terms of diversity and nutrient adequacy is central in finding resolutions to address the coexistence of under- and overnutrition found in South Africa. However, accurate and efficient measurements of diet quality are complex and often compromised by the methodology used and the difficulty in data analyses, especially in poverty-stricken and/or low-income and illiterate communities. Few studies focused on the association between food variety and household socioeconomic factors, specifically in peri-urban areas. Food variety and dietary diversity were used as indicators of dietary quality as recommended by other researchers for use in developing countries.

Objective and Methods: In this chapter the aim was to report on the findings of investigating how the food and nutrient intakes and selected socioeconomic variables relate to diet quality and dietary diversity in women living in the peri-urban areas of the Vaal region and Qwa-Qwa in South Africa by means of a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use, valid, and reliable measuring instrument.

Results and Conclusions: Food group diversity scores in the peri-urban areas indicated high dietary diversity while food variety scores indicated low dietary diversity. Women in both peri-urban areas were impoverished, poorly educated, and unemployed, with low income, all of which contributed to diet quality.

Recommendation: Further investigations regarding dietary variety and its determinants are needed to find resolutions in the South African context.

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Abbreviations

AI:

Adequate intake

AIDS:

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

DDS:

Dietary diversity score

DRI:

Dietary reference intakes

EAR:

Estimated average requirement

EER:

Estimated energy requirement

FAO:

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization

FFQ:

Food frequency questionnaire

FGDS:

Food group diversity score

FVS:

Food variety score

g:

Gram

GP:

Gauteng Province

HIV:

Human immunodeficiency virus

kJ:

Kilojoules

M:

Million

MAR:

Mean adequacy ratio

mg:

Milligram

NAR:

Nutrient adequacy ratio

NCD:

Noncommunicable disease

OR:

Odds ratio

p :

Statistical significance

RDA:

Recommended daily allowances

RSA:

Republic of South Africa

SA:

South Africa

SAHR:

South African Health Review

SD:

Standard deviation

US$:

United States dollar

ZAR:

South African rand

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre of Sustainable Livelihoods, Vaal University of Technology, X021, Vanderbijlpark, 1900, South Africa

    Wilna Oldewage-Theron & Abdulkadir Egal

  2. Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, 102 904, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland, 0745, New Zealand

    Rozanne Kruger

Authors
  1. Wilna Oldewage-Theron
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  2. Rozanne Kruger
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  3. Abdulkadir Egal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wilna Oldewage-Theron .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, School of Medicine, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. Rosemead Surgery, 8A Ray Park Avenue, Maidenhead, SL6 8DS, Berkshire, United Kingdom

    Lan-Anh Hunter

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Oldewage-Theron, W., Kruger, R., Egal, A. (2013). Diet Quality in Peri-urban Settlements: South African Aspects. In: Preedy, V., Hunter, LA., Patel, V. (eds) Diet Quality. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7315-2_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7315-2_20

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-7314-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-7315-2

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