Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T14:12:40.008Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The significance of socio-economic characteristics for adult seasonal body-weight fluctuations: a study in north-western Benin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Marti J. Van Liere ,
Eric-Alain D. Ategbo ,
Jan Hoorweg ,
Adel P. Den Hartog  and
Joseph G. A. J. Hautvast
Marti J. Van Liere
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Wageningen, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands
Eric-Alain D. Ategbo
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Benin, PO Box 526, Cotonou, Republic of Benin
Jan Hoorweg
Affiliation:
Africun Studies Centre, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands
Adel P. Den Hartog
Affiliation:
Africun Studies Centre, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands
Joseph G. A. J. Hautvast
Affiliation:
Department of Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Wageningen, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Large variations in seasonal body-weight fluctuations have been described for individuals from different households living and working under comparable circumstances. In the present study the relationship between socio-economic household characteristics and seasonal body-weight fluctuations of individual members of rural Beninese households were studied. No significant correlation was found for body-weight fluctuation between the two study years, nor for body-weight fluctuation of men and women belonging to the same household. When comparing dichotomized socio-economic classes for relative body-weight fluctuation of men and women in both study years, no consistent trends were observed for both years nor for both sexes. The distribution of subjects with a consistent high weight fluctuation over the two study years did not differ between socio-economic groups. In conclusion it may be stated that there were no indications that socio-economic characteristics play a determining role in the magnitude of body-weight fluctuation of this study population, despite the large variations observed in the latter. Therefore it is most likely that other factors decide the weight fluctuations of individuals, health and sanitation being the most likely candidates.

Keywords

Socio-economic characteristicsSeasonal body-weight fluctuationRural Benin
Type
Seasonal fluctuations in body weight in rural Benin
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 72 , Issue 3 , September 1994 , pp. 479 - 488
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1994

References

REFERENCES

Annegers, J. F. (1973). Seasonal food shortages in West Africa. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 2, 251–257.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ategbo, E. A. D. (1993). Food and nutrition insecurity in Northern Benin: impact on growth performance of children and on year-to-year nutritional status of adults. PhD Thesis, Wageningen Agricultural University.Google Scholar
Christian, P., Abbi, R., Gujral, S. & Gopaldas, T. (1989). Socioeconomic determinants of child nutritional status in rural and tribal India. Ecology of Food und Nutrition 23, 31–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dugdale, A. E. & Payne, P. R. (1987). A model of seasonal changes in energy balance. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 19, 231–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Durnin, J. V. G. A., Drummond, S. & Satyanarayana, K. (1990). A collaborative EEC-study on seasonality and marginal nutrition. The Glasgow-Hyderabad study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 44, Suppl. 1, 19–29.Google ScholarPubMed
Ferro-Luzzi, A., Scaccini, C., Taffese, S., Aberra, B. & Demeke, T. (1990). Seasonal energy deficiency in Ethiopian rural women. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 44, Suppl. 1, 7–18.Google Scholar
Guyer, J. I. (1986). Intra household processes and farming systems research: perspectives from anthropology. In Understanding Africa's Rural Households and Farming Systems, pp. 92–104 [Moock, J. L., editor]. Boulder: Westview.Google Scholar
Haaga, J. (1986). Child malnutrition in rural Kenya: a geographic and agricultural classification. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 18, 297–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennedy, E. (1983). Determinants of family and preschooler food consumption. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 5, 22–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennedy, E. & Oniang'o, R. (1990). Health and nutrition effects of sugar cane production in south-western Kenya. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 12, 261–261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Longhurst, R. (1986). Seasonality and poverty. IDS Bulletin 17, 1–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNeill, G., Payne, P. R., Rivers, J. P. W., Enos, A. M. T., de Britto, J. & Mukarji, D. S. (1988). Socio- economic and seasonal patterns of adult energy nutrition in a South Indian village. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 22, 85–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nabarro, D. (1984). Social, economic, health, and environmental determinants of nutritional status. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 6, 8–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Niemeyer, R., Foeken, D. & Klaver, W. (1991). Seasonality in the Coustal Lowlands of Kenya. Part 415: Food Consumption and Anthropometry. Report no. 38/ 1991, African Studies Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Rosetta, L. (1986). Sex differences in seasonal variations of the nutritional status of Serere adults in Senegal. Ecology of Food and Nutrition1 18, 231–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sahn, D. E. (1989). A conceptual framework for examining the seasonal aspects of households food security. In Seasonal Variability in Third World Agriculture. The Consequences for Food Security, pp. 20–56 [Sahn, D. E., editor]. Baltimore and London: J. Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Schultink, J. W. (1991). Seasonal changes in energy balances of rural Beninese women. PhD Thesis, Agricultural University of Wageningen.Google Scholar
Schultink, J. W., Klaver, W., van Wijk, H., van Raaij, J. M. A. & Hautvast, J. G. A. J. (1990). Body weight changes and basal metabolic rates of rural Beninese women during seasons with different energy intakes. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 44, Suppl. 1, 31–40.Google ScholarPubMed
Teokul, W., Payne, P. & Dugdale, A. (1986). Seasonal variations in nutritional status in rural areas of developing countries: a review of literature. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 8, 7–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
UnivérsitC Nationale du Bénin (1992). Le Binin en Chiflies (Figures ofBenin). Aoüt 1992. Facult6 des Sciences Agronomiques, DCpartement Economique et Sociologie Rurales, Section Economie Rurale.Google Scholar
Valverde, V., Martorell, R., Mejia-Pivaral, V., Delgado, H., Lechting, A., Teller, C. & Klein, R. E. (1977). Relationship between family land availability and nutritional status. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 6, 1–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar