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Micronutrient bioavailability and deficiency in Kenyan dairy and animal food systems: a pilot study

NTU Seedcorn Funding from 2021 - In progress

Research project overview

Approximately 2/3 of the rural and urban Kenyan communities directly access the crops they grow and the animals they keep on locally available land for their livelihoods and survival. Food constituents that are crucial for physiological functions include vitamins and minerals, with deficiencies in such micronutrients often termed ‘hidden hunger.’

This study will assess the dynamics of micronutrient transfer through the food chain, involving previously collected data on soil, water, plants, animals and people. New data will also be collected on dietary composition, with particular focus on the link to dairy and meat products, including poultry, which are prominent and subsistence-bred in poor communities in Kenya.

Aim

To investigate the transfer of essential micronutrients through the soil–water–plant–animal–human food chain in Kenya, with a particular focus on dairy, meat, and poultry products that are important for rural livelihoods and nutrition; to integrate existing environmental data with new dietary and socioeconomic information from communities in Kakamega, Uasin Gishu, and Kisumu Counties; to improve understanding of factors influencing micronutrient intake and help identify strategies to address hidden hunger and enhance food and nutrition security.

Methodology

A cross-sectional survey design will be used to collect data from primary sources. Structured food frequency questionnaires will be administered to the adult residents within the study area on dietary composition, socioeconomic and demographic factors.

300 food frequency questionnaires will be randomly administered to the residents of Kakamega, Uasin, Gishu and Kisumu Counties (100 questionnaires per county) and used for data analysis.

Impact and outputs

  • Provide a new integrated framework for understanding and addressing malnutrition by linking environmental, agricultural, and dietary factors, supporting evidence-based decision-making for improved nutrition and food security in Kenya.
  • Develop the foundation of a decision-support tool and generate integrated datasets and analyses that connect micronutrient dynamics across the food chain, helping identify knowledge gaps and intervention opportunities to reduce hidden hunger.