About half of Ethiopians belong to the Orthodox Tewahedo religion. Annually, more than 200 days are dedicated to religious fasting, which includes abstaining from all types of food, animal source foods, and water. However, the association of fasting with undernutrition remains unknown in Ethiopia. Therefore, dietary pattern and nutritional status of lactating women during lent fasting and non-fasting periods were studied, and predictor variables for maternal underweight were identified. To achieve this, lactating mothers in lent fasting (N = 572) and non-fasting (N = 522) periods participated from rural Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Average minimum diet diversity (MDD-W) was computed from two 24-h recalls, and nutritional status was assessed using body mass index (BMI). Binary logistic regression was used to identify potential predictors of maternal underweight. Wilcoxon signed-rank (WSRT) and McNemar’s tests were used for comparison of the two periods. The prevalence of underweight in fasting mothers was 50.6%. In the multivariate logistic regression model, younger age, sickness in the last four weeks preceding the survey, fasting during pregnancy, lactation periods, grandfathers’ as household decision makers, previous aid experience, non-improved water source, and not owning chicken were positively associated with maternal underweight. In WSRT, there was no significant (p > 0.05) difference on maternal body weight and BMI between periods. The average number of meals, diet diversity, and animal source foods (ASFs), consumption scores were significantly increased in non-fasting compared to fasting periods in both fasting and non-fasting mothers (p < 0.001, p < 0.05, and p < 0.001, respectively). Consumption of dark green leafy vegetables was higher in the fasting period (11%) than non-fasting (3.6%), in the study population. As a conclusion, Ethiopian Orthodox fasting negatively affected maternal nutritional status and dietary pattern in rural Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. To reduce maternal malnutrition in Ethiopia, existing multi-sectoral nutrition intervention strategies, should include religious institutions in a sustainable manner.

A household cross-sectional survey of a sample of 120 households to analyze consumption practices and determinants of household dietary diversity in rural areas of differing agro-climatic conditions in Tanzania was conducted in four villages of Morogoro and Dodoma regions. The respondent was the mother/woman or any other person responsible for food preparation and serving in the household. The inclusion criteria were those women who had given consent to participate, those from a rural area and in the age bracket 15 to 49 years. Data were collected using the Food and Agriculture Organization dietary diversity questionnaire with twelve food groups. Two independent multinomial logistic regression models were used to establish relationships between dietary diversity and categorical variables in Morogoro and Dodoma regions. The mean dietary diversity scores were 4.7 and 4.1 for Morogoro and Dodoma, respectively. The Cereals were highly consumed by all households that participated in the study during the past 24 h preceding the survey and that the consumption of animal based protein foods was below 40%. Determinants of household dietary diversity in Morogoro included literacy status of the mother and prior nutrition training/knowledge. In Dodoma, cultivated land size, literacy status of the mother and distance to a water source determined household dietary diversity. It is therefore recommended that nutrition and food security interventions should not only empower rural women but also pay special attention to differences in agro-ecological environments of the areas in determining interventions to address malnutrition and for effective successful implementation and outcomes.

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.

Fasting period and fasting status affect the feeding practices and nutritional status of Ethiopian Orthodox mothers. Even if children are exempted from fasting, some mothers do not prepare their food from animal sources as it could contaminate utensils for cooking family foods. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess feeding practices and undernutrition in 6–23-months old children whose mothers are Ethiopian Orthodox religion followers during lent fasting and non-fasting periods in rural Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, and to identify associated factors. A community-based longitudinal study was carried out in Ethiopian Orthodox lent fasting and non-fasting periods. Using a multi-stage systematic random sampling technique, 567 and 522 children aged 6–23 months old participated in the fasting and non-fasting assessments, respectively. Statistical analyses were done using logistic regression, an independent sample t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank (WSRT) and McNemar’s tests. The prevalences of stunting, underweight and wasting were 31.6–33.7%, 11.7–15.7% and 4.4–4.8%, respectively. The weight-for-height (WHZ) and height-for-age (HAZ) values for children of fasting mothers were significantly lower (p < 0.05) compared to those of non-fasting mothers. Likewise, the median weight-for-age (WAZ) and diet diversity score (DDS) of children of fasting mothers were also significantly higher in non-fasting than in fasting periods. A small proportion of children (2.3–6.7%) met the minimum acceptable diet (MAD) in the study population, but these measures were significantly increased (p < 0.001) in the children of non-fasting mothers. Mother’s fasting during lactation period of the indexed child was amongst the independent factors common in child stunting, underweight and wasting. Nutritional status and feeding practices of 6–23-month-old children are affected by maternal fasting during the fasting period. Therefore, without involvement of religious institutions in the existing nutritional activities, reduction of undernutrition would not be successful and sustainable.

Background: A sizable cross-sectional studies demonstrated a low dietary diversity in Southern Ethiopia. However, its seasonal trend has not been well studied in areas where nutrient-poor enset (false banana (Ensete ventricosum)) foods are major staple. Moreover, there is scarcity of information on seasonal nature of anthropometric status of mother–child pairs (MCP) from the same areas in Southern Ethiopia. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the dietary diversity and anthropometric status of MCP in postharvest dry and lean wet seasons and identify factors associated with anthropometric status. Methods: The dietary intake and anthropometric data were collected from 578 households (578 mothers and 578 children) January–June 2017. The study compared data of the two seasons using McNemar’s test for dichotomous, Wilcoxon signed-rank test for non-normally distributed, and paired samples t-test for normally distributed continuous data. Logistic regression was conducted to identify risk factors for malnutrition. In addition, Spearman’s Rho test was used to determine correlations between maternal and child variables. Results: Over 94% of the mothers did not fulfil the minimum diet diversity score in both seasons. The meal frequency and pulses/legumes intake significantly declined in lean wet season; however, dark green leaves consumption increased. Meat, poultry, and fish consumption dropped to almost zero in the lean wet season. The dietary diversity and anthropometric status of the MCP were correlated. Weight-for-age (WAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ) of children significantly declined in the lean wet season. In the same way, maternal mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), body weight, and body mass index (BMI) dropped (p < 0.001) in this season. Being pregnant and a lactating mother, poverty, and the ability to make decisions independently predicted maternal undernutrition (low MUAC). On the other hand, maternal undernutrition and education were associated with child underweight. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the dietary diversity of MCP is low in both postharvest dry and lean wet seasons. This suggests the need for continuous nutrition intervention to improve the dietary diversity. In addition, the anthropometric status of MCP declines in lean wet season. This may provide some clue for policy targeting on improving nutritional status of mothers and children in rural Southern Ethiopia.