Integrated community‐based growth monitoring and vegetable gardens focusing on crops rich in β‐carotene: Project evaluation in a rural community in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

BACKGROUND: Cultivation in β‐carotene vegetables was promoted in a crop‐based intervention in Lusikisiki, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The project also included nutrition education and community‐based growth monitoring, and focused on technology transfer and mobilisation of local organisations. Three years after initiation of the project, participating (n = 219) and non‐participating (n = 223) households were compared in terms of child morbidity, nutritional knowledge, dietary intake and gardening practices. RESULTS: Compared to control households, more caregivers from project households thought that yellow fruit and vegetables were good for their children (73% vs. 45%; P < 0.001), were familiar with the term ‘vitamin A’ (89% vs. 63%; P < 0.001), knew that vitamin A is a nutrient in food (83% vs. 53%; P < 0.001), and could name three food sources rich in vitamin A (56% vs. 27%; P < 0.001). Fewer 1–5‐year‐old children in the project households reportedly experienced vomiting (6% vs. 13%; P = 0.012), fever (30% vs. 42%; P = 0.008), sores on the skin (6% vs. 19%; P < 0.001), continuous runny nose (20% vs. 33%; P = 0.002), diarrhoea (2% vs. 7%; P = 0.026) and poor appetite (7% vs. 14%; P = 0.016). Children from project households consumed carrot (P = 0.008), butternut (P = 0.002), spinach (P = 0.004) and orange‐fleshed sweetpotato (P = 0.028) more frequently than children from control households. CONCLUSION: The agricultural intervention, combined with nutrition education and community‐based growth monitoring, showed a favourable effect on child morbidity, nutritional knowledge and dietary intake of β‐carotene‐rich vegetables. Agricultural interventions can therefore contribute significantly towards nutritional outcomes.