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Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Thorkild Tylleskär, University of Bergen, Norway
- Second opponent: PhD Elizabeth Chodzaza, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Associate Professor Meryam Sugulle, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Associate Professor Jan Magnus Aronsen, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Professor Per Ole Iversen, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo
Summary
In low- and middle-income countries like Malawi, poor maternal nutritional status during pregnancy is a major determinant of low birth weight (LBW) and impaired linear growth (stunting). Both LBW and stunting can increase infant mortality and morbidity, and may impact negatively on future development. Undernutrition among pregnant women is partly explained by dietary inadequacy. We therefore conducted a randomized controlled trial among pregnant women in rural Malawi to examine the effect of dietary education and counselling on their dietary habits. The intervention included nutrition education and counselling supplemented by cooking demonstrations that utilised meal recipes to ensure consumption as indicated in the six food groups national dietary guidelines in Malawi. The meal recipes were predominantly prepared through one pot dish conforming to food preparation cultural practices. The intervention enhanced food literacy, which was exhibited through a combination of competencies in nutrition literacy and the ability to apply that information to make appropriate decisions on dietary intakes. We also found that inaccessibility of food resources was a critical constraint to consumption of a diversified diet. However, use of contextualized food-based solutions, like harmonization of meal recipes to local culture and norms, were observed to be relatively cheap and sustainable. This thesis thus demonstrates opportunities of using food-based solutions to meet adequate energy, macro- and micronutrient requirements for pregnant women and thereby contribute to combat maternal undernutrition in Malawi.
Additional information
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