Dietary intake and nutritional status of young children in families practicing mixed home gardening in northeast Thailand
Schipani, S.; van der Haar, F.; Sinawat, S.; Maleevong, K.
Food and Nutrition Bulletin 23(2): 175-180
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0379-5721 PMID: 12094667 DOI: 10.1177/156482650202300206Document Number: 245228
One current initiative to assist rural Thai families to increase home food production and security is the implementation of home gardens that produce fish, small animals and vegetables. This paper presents the results of an investigation comparing seasonal dietary intake and nutritional status among northeastern Thai children in mixed-gardening and nongardening families (n=30 for each group). Assignment to the gardening group was based on the presence of a mixed garden, whereas nongardening subjects were randomly selected and matched for comparison. Statistical analysis (paired t-test) indicated that there was no significant difference in the observed biochemical variables (serum retinol, ferritin, haemoglobin) between groups at the P<=0.05 level. Nutritional status regarding height-for-weight, weight-for-age and weight-for-height Z scores was better among children of gardening families, although the differences were not significant. The small sample size and reported results indicate that the relationship between the practice of mixed home gardening and dietary intake and nutritional status needs further investigation.