Inadequate consumption of micronutrient-dense foods such as vegetables and meat are an important contributing cause for anemia and deficiencies of iron and vitamin A in rural communities of Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 to examine nutritional and micronutrient status and their associations to the diet of female small-scale farmers in the sub-humid Kilosa (n = 333) and the semi-arid Chamwino (n = 333) districts, in the Morogoro and Dodoma region. An overall higher prevalence of overweight (19.7%) and obesity (7.1%) than of underweight (5.9%) was detected. Significantly more women in the two villages of Kilosa (27–40%) than in the two villages of Chamwino district (19–21%) were overweight/obese, but also more frequently had anemia (34–41% vs. 11–17%), iron deficiency (24–32% vs. 15–17%), and low serum retinol (21–24% vs. 8–9%). Overall, only a small proportion of women reached recommended daily micronutrient intakes: 27% for vitamin A, 17% for iron, 7% for zinc, and 12–38% for B-vitamins. The amount of dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) consumed was the main determinant of vitamin A and iron intake by women in Chamwino and corresponded to higher hemoglobin, serum retinol and iron status than in the villages of the Kilosa district; in agreement, DGLV consumption also predicted iron and vitamin A intake in Kilosa district. DGLV consumed with wholemeal millet was advantageous in terms of women’s vitamin A and iron intake and status over the predominantly maize-rice-based diet lacking vegetables.

Inadequate consumption of micronutrient-dense and protein-rich foods such as vegetables, legumes and meat is an important contributing cause for anemia and deficiencies of vitamin A and iron in rural communities of Tanzania and Mozambique. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the nutritional status (anthropometrics and hemoglobin) and diets in particular micronutrient intake of female and male pigeon pea farmers from Lindi, Tanzania, and Gurué, the Zambézia province of Mozambique. A total of 1526 farmers (669 from Tanzania, 857 from Mozambique) were studied, of whom 16% were overweight and 35% were anemic. The highest prevalence of overweight and anemia, at 35% and 48%, was observed in Tanzanian and Mozambican women, respectively. Overall, only a small proportion of women and men reached the recommended daily dietary intake of vitamin A (10%), iron (51%) and zinc (44%). Multiple regression models revealed that dark green leafy vegetables (DGLVs) highly predicted vitamin A intake, whereas legumes in Tanzania and starchy plants in Mozambique were actually the dominant sources of vitamin A. Cereals covered over half of the iron and the zinc intake in both countries. An increased consumption of micronutrient-rich DGLVs and legumes, while reducing the high amounts of refined maize or polished rice, is suggested to counteract the high prevalence of anemia and overweight among smallholder farmers in East and South Eastern Africa.

The increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity may already have reached the farmers in Tanzania and Mozambique. Here, the measurement of the mid-upper-arm-circumference (MUAC) could become a simple and sensitive tool for early detection of at-risk groups of overweight as well as underweight. Body Mass Index (BMI) and MUAC of female and male farmers (n = 2106) from different regions of Tanzania and the Zambézia province, Mozambique, were analyzed by region, sex, age, and correlates. MUAC cut-offs, calculated via BMI cut-offs (<18.5, ≥25, and ≥30 kg/m²), and multiple linear regression (MLR), compared to those selected by highest Youden’s index (YI) value, were assessed. The study showed an overall higher prevalence of overweight (19%) than underweight (10%) due to the high number of overweight female farmers (up to 35%) in southern Tanzania. BMI, which was mainly and positively predicted by MUAC, was higher in Tanzania and among female farmers, and decreased significantly from the age of ≥65 years. MUAC cut-offs of <24 cm and ≥30.5 cm, calculated by MLR, detected 55% of farmers being underweight and 74% being overweight, with a specificity of 96%; the higher cut-off <25 cm and lower cut-off ≥29 cm, each selected according to YI, consequently detected more underweight (80%) and overweight farmers (91%), but on the basis of a lower specificity (87–88%). Overweight was evident among female farmers in East Africa. MUAC cut-offs, whether defined via linear regression or Youden’s Index, could prove to be easy-to-use tools for large-scale screenings of both underweight and overweight.