Comparison Of The Anemia Prevalence And Nutritional Status Of Women Of Reproductive Age In The Pastoralist And Agro-pastoralist Communities Of Fafan Zone Nutritional Benefits Of Pastoral To Agro-pastoral Transformation
Pastoralism is a subsistence system/ill' producing meat, milk, and other animal products/i'omrndomesticated animals such as goats, sheep, cattle, and camels. These livestock contributes thernlion's share to the livelihood of the people in Somali region, it is practiced in marginal areasrnwhere crop production is extremely difficult. Pastoralist diets generally change seasonallyrnand infer-annually with changing climatic and socioeconomic circumstances. Animalrnproducts make up the majority of the diet for pastoral populations that depend heavily onrnlivestock and are important source of protein. Grain comprises a small portion of these dietsrnand milk is dietary stable among pastoral communities. Agro-pastoralism is a set of practicesrnthat combine pastoral livelihoods with production of diverSified crops like millet, sorghum,rnmaize, vegetables, /i"uits and pulses (annual legumes). Agro-pastoralists communities arernrelatively stable having better income and dietmy types, adequate health service andrneducation that can positively impact their nutritional status.rnThus, we assume that compared to pastoralists, agro-pastoralists are belfer in nutritionalrnslat us as they can obtain animal source foods, can grow /i"uits, vegetables and cereal crops.rnThere(ore the purpose ()(this study is to assess the nutritional differences (j( pastoralists andrnagf'() pastoralists.rn'l 'his cross sectional sludy involving 400 reproductive age women was conducted hetweenrnFebruary to April. The study was conducted in Fafan zone, which is one of the nine zones inrnsomali region. 7'1e study assessed the prevalence ()f anemia and nutritional slatus of womenrnoj" reproductive age in pasloral and agro-pastoral communities. Nutritional status wasrnevaluated using anthropometric parameters. Hemoglobin was measured using the Hemo CuernphOlometer (201), sociodemographic data, dietmy diversity, morbidity and household in(oodrnsecurity was assessed using interview method.rn0/ all the studied women, mean age was 22.3(2. 7). Majority of women 90% were notrneducated, source of drinking water in both areas was mainly from borehole, dug well, springrn])later and only 27% ()l the households had drinking water Fum tap. All of the householdsrninterviewed in the pmtoral woreda have no access to electricity, whereas the agro-pastoralrn])Ioreda 73.5% has access 10 electricity. About 56% 0/ the surveyed hou.·eholds usedrnpitlalrines and outdoor toilel/acilities. Dumping in the open space and burning were thernmajor ways o/ "Faste di:,posal. Overall around 15% o/the women had meal alone time during.l'urvey, (53.2%) had meal two times a day and 31.8 had three times a day. The mean die tmyrndiversity s