Browsing by Subject "Nutrition"

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Deciphering the potential of large-scale proteomics to improve product quality and nutritional value in different wheat species
(2022) Afzal, Muhammad; Longin, Friedrich
Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most important staple crops globally, which provides on average ~20% of the dietary intake of protein, starch and further important ingredients like fiber, minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids for humans. Besides common wheat, there exist further wheat species with global to only local importance, i.e., durum, spelt, emmer and einkorn. Common wheat and durum are relatively widely cultivated whereas the other three species are cultivated only in specific regions. Apart from other functions, wheat proteins largely influence the end-use quality of products such as bread and pasta quality. Furthermore, wheat proteins can induce inflammatory reactions in humans such as celiac disease, wheat allergy and non-celiac wheat sensitivity. Thus, proteome profiles of different wheat species and cultivars within these species are of high relevance for stakeholders along the wheat supply chain. Proteomic technology has made breakthrough advancements in the recent times capable of quantifying thousands of proteins in 1.5–2 hours. Also, the wheat reference genome has been published and extended recently. These developments are extremely helpful in studying the wheat proteome at a high resolution. However, the modern large-scale proteomics has yet neither been applied to perform comparative investigation of the proteomes of different wheat species nor to study the proteomes of different types of breads and flours nor to study its application in the context of plant breeding. Therefore, we utilized modern large-scale proteomics to fill these gaps within the framework of this PhD work. First of all, an optimized data analysis pipeline was designed to deal with big proteomics data. This was necessary to estimate a multitude of quantitative genetics parameters for each protein and perform a comparative investigation of the proteomes. Optimization included implementation of data filtering based on the quantification of a protein in a given proportion of the samples, cultivars and environments. Different tests such as test for normal distribution of each protein in the context of statistical modelling and test to check the equality of variance between groups to apply the appropriate t-test were incorporated into a semi-automated workflow. In parallel, we adjusted and improved the lab methodology to deal with hundreds of samples within a short time period. We introduced a novel hybrid liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach that combines quantification concatamer (QconCAT) technology with short microflow LC gradients and data-independent acquisition (DIA). The proposed approach measures the proteome by label-free quantification (LFQ) while concurrently providing accurate QconCAT-based absolute quantification of the key amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs). These methods were then applied to compare different wheat species based on dozens of cultivars grown at multiple locations. First, we compared common wheat and spelt and identified 3,050 proteins overall. Of total proteins, 1,555 proteins in spelt and 1,166 in common wheat were only detected in a subset of the field locations. There were 1,495 and 1,604 proteins in spelt and common wheat, respectively, which were consistently expressed across all test locations in at least one cultivar. Finally, there were 84 and 193 unique proteins for spelt and common wheat, respectively, as well as 396 joint proteins, which were significantly differentially expressed between the two species. Using potentially allergenic proteins – annotated as amylase/trypsin inhibitors, serpins, and wheat germ agglutinin – we calculated an equally weighted “allergen index” that largely varied across cultivars ranging from –13.32 to 10.88 indicating the potential to select for cultivars with favorable proteome profiles. Next, we examined the proteomes of six different flours (wholegrain and superfine flours) and 14 different bread types (yeast and sourdough fermented breads and common wheat breads plus/minus bread improver) from common wheat, spelt and rye. Proteins that could cause allergies were functionally classified and comparatively measured by LFQ in flours and breads. Our findings showed that allergenic proteins were more prevalent in common wheat and spelt than rye and were not specifically degraded during bread manufacturing. In terms of abundance of the allergenic proteins, there was almost no difference between spelt and common wheat and the type of grain is likely more important for allergenicity than milling or traditional fermentation techniques. In a further study, we generated the flour reference proteomes for five wheat species, identifying at least 2,540 proteins in each species. More than 50% of the proteins significantly differed between species. Particularly, einkorn expressed 5.4 and 7.2 times less allergens and amylase/trypsin inhibitors than common wheat, respectively, emerging as a potential alternative cereal crop for people with sensitivities to cereal allergens. Lastly, we studied the application of large-scale proteomics for plant breeding. We found a significant impact of the environmental factors on protein expression. Only a fraction of proteins was stably expressed in all environments in at least one cultivar. Environmental influence was observed not only in the form of absolute expression or suppression of a certain protein at one or more environments but also in the form of low heritability (H2). High coefficients of variation across wheat cultivars indicate that the protein profiles of different cultivars vary considerably. Although, heritability was low for many proteins, we were able to identify hundreds of proteins with H²>0.5 – including key proteins for baking quality and human health. It should be possible to specifically manipulate the expression of functionally important proteins with high heritability by selecting and breeding for superior wheat cultivars along the wheat supply chain. Nevertheless, a successful implementation in plant breeding programs needs an improvement in the speed of protein quantification methods and in the validation of protein functions and annotations. In a nutshell, high number of proteins can be quantified in cereal grains utilizing cutting-edge proteomics techniques, opening new avenues for their use in the wheat supply chain. We generated lists of intriguing candidate proteins for further investigations on wheat sensitivity, and proteins with high heritability and important biological functions. Current research work has significant implications for the scientific and business communities across multiple disciplines including breeding, agriculture, cereal technology, nutritional science, health, and medicine. Political decision-makers and stakeholders in the food supply chain can benefit from the findings of this PhD project.
Essays on health and nutrition in China
(2015) Nie, Peng; Sousa-Poza, Alfonso
This dissertation aims to investigate several major socio-economic determinants of health and nutrition in China. By using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) spanning from 1991 to 2009, this enhances the understanding of the transition of health and nutrition with such unprecedented economic and social changes in China. This dissertation contains six chapters: more specifically, Chapter 1 gives a brief description of general background, research aim and also the outline. Then Chapter 2 examines the association between maternal employment and childhood obesity. Chapter 3 takes a comprehensive look at how income changes are related to calorie intake. Chapter 4 investigates the impacts of peers (one of most important aspects of social networks) on childhood and adolescent adiposity. Chapter 5 assesses the nexus between long work hours and health. Finally, Chapter 6 ends with some main conclusions and discussions. Chapter 2 analyses the alarming increase of overweight and obese children and considers the higher female employment participation in China. We analyze how maternal employment is correlated with childhood obesity in China. Our work makes a non-Western comparison in this field, which is useful as it is rather difficult to generalize the results (mostly significant positive association between maternal employment and childhood obesity) from related studies in the Western world. More importantly, we further explore how maternal employment is related to two key transmitters of obesity: diet and physical activities. We find no association of maternal employment and childhood adiposity. Moreover, maternal employment is also not associated with either diet or physical activity of children. However, our results are well consistent with some recent evidence in Europe (Greve, 2011; Gwozdz et al., 2013), supporting the evidence that maternal employment might not necessarily be detrimental to child adiposity. One tentative explanation is that, the major source of informal childcare in China is grandparents, who are more likely to provide childcare with a high quality. In Chapter 3, we provide an empirical analysis that looks at the association between income and calorie intake via a variety of parametric, nonparametric and semiparametric approaches. By means of panel data settings, we are capable of capturing time-invariant individual heterogeneity. It is worth noting that taking a close look at calorie-income elasticities is crucial and implicative of the effectiveness of income-mediated policies for food security in China. Our findings provide strong evidence that calorie-income elasticities are small, irrespective of using parametric, nonparametric, or semiparametric techniques. Furthermore, these elasticities remain small when taking nonlinearities into consideration, and also for sub-analysis for gender, individuals with differences in calorie intake or even impoverished households. Although calorie-income are small, our results are well in line with some prior studies (Bishop et al., 2010; Lu and Luhrmann, 2012; Shankar, 2010; Zhong et al., 2012), suggesting that households might be quite successful in maintaining calorie intake stable as income changes. Also note, despite the marked increase in income, the Chinese demand for better food quality, food diversity and food safety have amplified (Gale and Huang, 2007; Liu et al., 2013b), instead of an increased demand for calorie intakes. Chapter 4 takes a detailed look at how peer effects are associated with childhood and adolescent obesity in China. It expands the empirical work beyond the Western domain in light of different cultural backgrounds between individualistic and collective societies. Furthermore, it broadens the dominant front of adolescents and adults by analyzing children as well. Note that, understanding peer effects on childhood adiposity is of great significance primarily because, as emphasized by Dishion and Tipsord (2011), children’s consumption behaviors are influenced by their peers. More importantly, childhood adiposity could result in persistent adulthood overweight or obesity (Loh and Li, 2013). In addition, the use of self-perceived perceptions of body weight allows for an exploration of the relation between peer effects and individual perceptions of weight status, thereby providing insights into understanding pathways by which peer effects operate within a relatively broader environment. We provide further evidence that peer effects exist not only among adolescents, but also children, suggesting that the formation of health lifestyles associated with peers is important for young children. In addition, we find that the magnitudes of peer effects change greatly over the distribution of individual BMI and stronger effects are observable at the upper end than at the bottom or median. This finding implies that obese individuals are more vulnerable to peers. Furthermore, females are more susceptible compared to males, which mirrors some U.S studies among adolescents (see, for instance, Trogdon et al., 2008). More importantly, we find that community-level average peer BMI is associated with self-perceived bodyweight in adolescents, providing evidence that a higher average peer BMI is related to the probability of a self-assessed perception of overweigh, in particular, for adolescent girls. All in all, our results support the existence of peer effects on childhood and adolescent obesity, but the magnitudes fall within the broader range for the U.S. adolescent studies using similar specification to ours. Therefore, it implies that peer effects do not necessarily strengthen within a collectivistic society, like China, as in comparison to the counterparts of an individualistic society, like the U.S. In Chapter 5, we provide a comprehensive picture of how long work hours are related to health, using not only subjective but also objective measures. Also, it provides a valuable comparison with existing studies predominantly in the Western world. More importantly, it explores several potential mechanisms through which long work hours could impact upon one’s health. In particular, it investigates the relation between long work hours and specific lifestyles, such as sleep, diet (calorie and fat intakes, time spent food preparation and cooking), physical activities (sports participation and time spent on sedentary activities). Apart from a cross-sectional settings, it also adopts a panel analysis, which allows for controlling for unobserved individual heterogeneity. Because, to the best of our knowledge, the only three studies in China (Fritjers et al., 2009; Verité, 2004; Zhao, 2008) all investigate subjective measures of health via cross-sectional data. We reveal that working above 50 hours per week (31-40 hours per week as the comparison), increases the probability of suffering from high blood pressure, though the effects are relatively small. Also, self-evaluated health is poorer for individuals working long hours compared with those weekly working 31-40 hours, however the effect is not so strong. Eventually, long work hours have various impacts of different aspects of individual lifestyles. Specifically, we cannot find a positive correlation between long work hours and obesity. Nevertheless, long work hours seem to be related to a decreased fat intake and less time spent on sedentary activity like watching TV. But, long work hours decrease the probability of sports participation. In summary, we provide limited evidence that long work hours in China have deleterious influences on health or lifestyles. Therefore, further research needs to explore the potential impacts of long work hours on other health or lifestyle measures. References Bishop, J.A. Liu, H.Y. & Zheng, B.H. 2010. Rising incomes and nutritional inequality in China. . In: BISHOP, J. A. (ed.) Studies in Applied Welfare Analysis: Papers from the Third ECINEQ Meeting. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. Dishion, T.J. & Tipsord, J.M. 2011. Peer contagion in child and adolescent social and emotional development. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 189-214. Fritjers, P. Johnston, D.W. & Meng, X. 2009. The mental health cost of long working hours: the case of rural Chinese migrants. Mimeo. Greve, J. 2011. New results on the effect of maternal work hours on childrens overweight status: does the quality of child care matter? Labour Economics, 18(5), 579-590. Gwozdz, W. Sousa-Poza, A. Reisch, L.A. Ahrens, W. Henauw, S.D. Eiben, G. Fernandéz-Alvira, J.M. Hadjigeorgiou, C. De Henauw, S. Kovács, E. Lauria, F. Veidebaum, T. Williams, G. & Bammann, K. 2013. Maternal employment and childhood obesity - a European perspective. Journal of Health Economics, 32(4), 728-742. Gale, F. & Huang, K.S. 2007. Demand for food quantity and quality in China, Economic Research Report. No.32. Washington D.C. : US Department of Agriculture. Lu, L. & Luhrmann, M. 2012. The impact of Chinese income growth on nutritional outcomes. Available from Liu, R.D. Pieniak, Z. & Verbeke, W. 2013b. Consumers attitude and behaviour towards safe food in China: a review. Food Control, 33(1), 93-104. Loh, C.P. & Li, Q. 2013. Peer effects in adolescent bodyweight: evidence from rural China. Social Science & Medicine, 86, 35-44. Shankar, B. 2010. Socio-economic drivers of overnutrition in China. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 23(5), 471-479. Trogdon, J.G. Nonnemaker, J. & Pais, J. 2008. Peer effects in adolescent overweight. Journal of Health Economics, 27(5), 1388-99. Verité 2004. Excessive overtime in Chinese supplier factories: causes, impacts and recommendations for action. Verité Research Paper, Amherst, Massachusetts. Zhong, F.N. Xiang, J. & Zhu, J. 2012. Impact of demographic dynamics on food consumption: a case study of energy intake in China. China Economic Review, 23(4), 1011-1019. Zhao, Z. 2008. Health demand and health determinants in China. Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, 6(1), 77-98.
Evaluation of suitability of non-toxic and detoxified Jatropha curcas L. meal as feed for fingerling common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., with reference to phytase application
(2012) Richter, Nahid; Becker, Klaus
Jatropha curcas L. is a hardy plant which can thrive on marginal degraded lands. Jatropha seeds contain about 300-350g kg-1 oil, which is used as fuel or in transesterified form as a substitute for diesel; they also have considerable protein quality. However, Jatropha contains antinutrients such as lectins, trypsin inhibitors and phytic acids at high levels and in toxic varities phorbolesters cause detrimental effect. Common carp fed heat-treated non-toxic Jatropha meal (JM) has been shown to have higher weight gain and protein efficiency ratio than those fish fed untreated JM. However, these parameters were significantly lower in the aforementioned trial when compared to fish fed a fish meal (FM) based diet. Reduced growth performance in fish fed non-toxic JM might be attributable to the deficiency of some essential amino acids such as lysine, to high levels of phytic acids or the presence of antinutrients. These may indicate the need for additional processing of JM for common carp. This work was therefore conducted to test various ways of further improving the nutritional quality of JM to increase the levels of inclusion in diets for common carp. In the first experiment, four diets based on 50% replacement of FM with defatted non-toxic JM were formulated, one with no further JM treatment, the second with 80% aqueous ethanol extraction before diet formulation, the third supplemented with 1% L-lysine and the fourth with 500 FTU phytase (5000G, Natuphos). These were compared to a standard, FM based diet. The results showed that diets with 500 FTU/kg phytase or 1% L-lysine could maintain common carp?s growth performance at a level comparable to fish fed a FM diet. Fish fed diets containing JM and ethanol treated JM had significantly lower growth performance than the control. The addition of 1% L-lysine or 500 FTU phytase enhanced percent body weight gain, food conversion efficiency and specific growth rate to a level comparable to those of the control. Furthermore, the addition of 500 FTU phytase significantly increased whole body Mg, P and K to the levels of those fish fed Diet Control. When the level of JM replacement was increased from 50% to 75% while at the same time supplementing the diets with inorganic phosphorus (Experiment 2), however, a significant decrease in body weight gain of common carp was observed both with and without 500 FTU phytase. In a third experiment, the effect of JM diets with added phytase but without phosphorous supplementation was therefore investigated in more detail. At the end of the eight week trial, phytase supplementation had not affected body mass gain (BMG), food conversion ratio (FCR) and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish. However, whole body phosphorous (P), P gain and P retention were significantly improved in fish fed JM with phytase supplementation when this was compared to the fish fed JM without phytase. Moreover, fish fed JM diets indicated higher O2 consumption per gramme body mass gain than carp fed FM diets. Energy expenditure per gramme protein retained was significantly higher for fish fed JM with or without phytase addition, indicating that the utilisation of JM was associated with higher energy costs for the fish. In the final experiment, the nutritional quality of non-toxic JM was compared to that of the toxic variety once appropriate measures had been taken to detoxify the latter. FM was replaced with either of the two at 75% of total dietary protein, for each Jatropha variety once without further supplementation and once supplemented with 500 FTU phytase and 1% lysine. The results of this experiment indicated that there was no significant differences in final body mass (FBM), % BMG, feed intake (FI), FCR and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed diets Control and non-toxic, supplemented JM. However, fish fed diets based on detoxified or non-toxic, unsupplemented Jatropha showed significantly inferior growth parameters when compared to carp fed the first two diets (p<0.05). Whole body P was significantly higher in fish fed the Control and non-toxic JM diets (with/without phytase and lysine) than fish fed either of the two detoxified JM diets (p<0.05). The depressed growth performance in the group fed detoxified JM could imply that the detoxification process was not complete and traces of phorbolesters may still be present in the diets. This work has shown that, given proper treatment, JM can act as a suitable replacement for FM at high levels in diets for common carp. The results of this work suggest that phytase addition to enhance phosphorous availability and lysine supplementation to correct the essential amino acid imbalance are two factors that have significant effects in improving JM suitability for common carp.
Interplay between nutrition, senescence and cytosine methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana
(2023) Vatov, Emil; Ludewig, Uwe
In monocarpic plants, senescence is the last stage of leaf development and usually leads to the death of the organism. Systematic degradation of leaf components provides nutrients for the newly developing flowers and seeds. The physiology and transcriptional changes that occur in A. thaliana during this process are very well documented. However, the involvement of epigenic mechanisms remains to be established. In this study, the role of cytosine methylation in the regulation of monocarpic leaf senescence was examined in A. thaliana. Hypomethylated ddc (drm1/2 cmt3) and hypermethylated ros1 mutants showed consistent senescence-specific phenotypes. Disrupted de-novo methylation resulted in delayed, while disrupted demethylation resulted in earlier flowering and appearance of first symptoms of senescence. Both genotypes executed the senescence program faster than Col-0, with lower leaf:seed and higher C:N ratios. During nitrogen, or phosphorus withdrawal and resupply, nutrient remobilization was not inhibited in the two mutants. However, the plant’s response in terms of changes in shoot and root growth was delayed, or non existent. Furthermore, the impact of N withdrawal on delay of the flowering time was inhibited in the two mutants. These results support involvement of cytosine methylation in stress response signaling and downstream effects on organ development and flowering times. The stress response and senescence specific phenotypes of ddc could be partially due to disrupted WRKY signaling, as loss of methylation in W-box binding sites was prevalent, specifically near the transcription start sites of ORFs, and WRKY18, 25 and 53 appeared to be sensitive towards cytosine methylation. Overall decrease in cytosine methylation levels was observed, as early as the opening of the first flowers, together with a decrease in chlorophyll concentrations and an increase in H2O2 and glucose levels in the wild type Col-0. Inhibition in maintenance methylation in the early stages of reproductive growth is consistent with these observations. A complex interaction between four cytokinins was present as early as flower induction, followed by a mass turnover of bound auxin (IAA) at flower opening, that resulted in near doubling of free IAA at seed development. Plant defense responses were induced thereafter, as an increase in salicylic acid (SA) and camalexin occurred, followed by an increase in jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid (ABA). Active RNA-dependent DNA methylation (RdDM) was indicated by a moderate overrepresentation of hypermethylated CHG and CHH loci, together with partial recovery of total methylation levels at the latest stages during seed maturation. Considering the delayed senescence phenotype of ddc, de-novo methylation via RdDM appears to be involved in initiation and execution of the senescence program. Furthermore, hypomethylation at ROS1 gene regulatory region was related to down regulation of gene expression. As an antagonist of RdDM, together with the early senescence phenotype of ros1, these results strengthen the importance of de-novo methylation for senescence, while active demethylation gets down regulated. Overall, methylation changes were little related to known gene expression changes that are associated with senescence. Limited targeting of WRKY and bZIP binding sites hinders conclusions about senescence specific effects of cytosine methylation in signal transduction networks. Altogether, the present work shines light on the importance of proper maintenance of cytosine methylation for flowering time, nutrient remobilization and senescence, and identifies defined cytosine methylation changes during senescence in a comprehensive physiological framework.
Nutrition and tuberculosis in Ethiopia : the role of vitamin D2 derived from sun exposed oyster mushroom on the treatment outcomes of tuberculosis
(2019) Keflie, Tibebeselassie Seyoum; Biesalski, Hans-Konrad
Tuberculosis (TB) is an old infectious disease which causes ill-health among millions of people each year. Effective anti-TB drugs are available since 1950’s, but still the global burden of TB remains enormous. The disease is very complex and there is a need to look for supportive treatment to the standard anti-TB drugs. Cognizant of this, the present doctoral study was undertaken by giving emphasis on nutrition and TB in Ethiopia. The aim of this doctoral dissertation thesis was to deal with the nutritional situation of people with and without TB and come-up with solutions that could support the effort of combating TB. In this thesis, five papers (four published and one submitted) were included. The first paper encompassed the study of dietary and nutritional assessment. In this study, dietary inadequacy, poor nutritional quality and high risk of micro nutrient deficiencies were identified. The main dietary pattern included cereals, vegetables and legumes. About one-third of the population consumed animal source food (ASF). Malnutrition was the common problem in people with and without TB. This suggested that malnutrition may pave the way for TB. The case-control study in the second paper revealed that more than one-half of TB patients had vitamin A and zinc deficiencies. More than three-fourth of TB patients had below half of the energy fulfillment. The protein intake was above the average fulfillment, but most TB patients relied on cereal-based diets. Patients with TB used a larger proportion of proteins from oral feeding for oxidation and hence for energy production. About half of the patients were undernourished. Thus, vitamin A and zinc deficiencies along with protein-energy malnutrition need to be addressed in the management program of TB. The third paper included systematic review which explored the existence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD). Sunshine, which is very important for the synthesis of vitamin D under the skin is widely available in Africa throughout the year. Surprisingly, more than three-fourth of TB patients in Africa had VDD and vitamin D insufficiency (VDI). Statistically significant variables such as use of sun protection (lack of sun-exposure), inadequate dietary intake, low body mass index (BMI), high skin pigmentation, use of drugs (anti-retro viral and /or anti-TB), low socioeconomic status, rainy season, covering body skin with clothes, old age and co-morbidity were identified as the main predictor variables that hampered the status of vitamin D. Vitamin D can be obtained from dietary intakes apart from endogenous synthesis after sun exposure. Mushroom as such, is a potential non-animal source of vitamin D. The experimental study in the fourth paper revealed that sun-exposure significantly increased the content of vitamin D2 in oyster mushroom. Increasing the surface area for sun-exposure enhanced the production of vitamin D2. Other factors such as duration of sun-exposure and moisture content determined the production of vitamin D2. Exposing slices of oyster mushroom to direct sun for brief period provided enough vitamin D2 that could satisfy the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin D without any visible changes in color and texture. The study in the fifth paper was a randomized controlled trial and demonstrated for the first time the role of mushroom-derived vitamin D2 on the treatment outcomes of TB. Intervention with vitamin D2 derived from sun-exposed oyster mushrooms brought significant improvement in vitamin D status, clinical outcomes and immunological responses, but not in sputum smear and culture conversion. The intervention corrected VDD in more than one-third of TB patients. About one-third of the variability in TB score in the intervention group was accounted for by the change in the serum 25 hydroxy (OH) vitamin D level. There were also significant improvements in the serum IFN-gamma and cathelicidin LL-37 peptide levels after intervention. The balance of cytokines was skewed to TH1 responses due to high level of IFN-gamma. Thus, mushroom-derived vitamin D2 could serve as potential, safe, easily available and cost-effective adjunctive therapy for TB. Taken collectively, foods enriched with vitamin D need to be included in the national TB control program to support the first line anti-TB drugs, increase the cure rate and reduce the infectiousness of TB.
Nutrition during pregnancy and early infancy in urban and rural areas of Deyang region, Southwestern China
(2022) Gao, Haoyue; Birner, Regina
In the past years, China has made remarkable progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. However, there are still significant urban-rural disparities and regional differences in the main indicators of child nutrition, maternal and child health. Inadequate dietary intake with regard to certain macro- and micronutrients occurs among women during the reproductive period. Despite the efforts that have been made to promote breastfeeding in China since the 1990s, there is still a very low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life. Therefore, the purpose of this observational study was to assess dietary intake and identify risk factors for nutritional inadequacy in pregnant women and to assess the current situation of infant feeding practices during the postpartum hospital stay in urban and rural settings of the study area in China. Between 2010 and 2012, cross-sectional sampling was used in two urban hospitals and five rural clinics randomly selected in the Deyang region. A total of 203 pregnant women in the third trimester and 204 pairs of mothers and newborns were recruited on the basis of informed consent during antenatal clinic sessions and in postnatal wards respectively. Semi-structured interviews on anthropometric and socio-demographic information were conducted for both the pregnant women and postpartum mothers. In addition, data on 24-h dietary recalls of pregnant women, birth outcomes and infant feeding practices of postpartum mothers were collected. Prior to pregnancy, 26.3% of the pregnant women were found to be underweight, while only 5.1% were overweight, based on self-reported pre-pregnancy weight. The women’s overall dietary energy intake during the third trimester originated excessively from fat, was low in carbohydrates, and reached the lower limits for protein. Compared to rural areas, women living in urban areas had significantly higher reference nutrient intake fulfilment levels for energy, fat, protein, vitamin A, Zn, Fe, Ca and riboflavin. The likelihood of pregnant women following certain traditional food recommendations such as avoiding beef, mutton, fish etc. was higher in rural than in urban areas. Both the short-term (e.g. gestational weight gain) and long-term nutritional status (e.g. height) of the mothers affected the birth outcomes (e.g. type of delivery). The decision for a Caesarean Section (CS) was not only related to medical/obstetrical issues but also nutritional and social demographic factors. The short stature of mothers, excessive gestational weight gain, larger-sized newborns, higher educational level or older ages of mothers were significantly positively related to the probability of CS. Although almost all of the mothers started breastfeeding after childbirth, the high prevalence of CS delayed initiation of breastfeeding. Due to the widespread use of infant formula, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) was only 8.0 % one week after delivery. Regardless of prelacteal feedings, almost exclusive breastfeeding (AEBF) was 34.5%. Breastfeeding initiation within two days after birth was positively associated with AEBF, whereas smaller newborns, mothers with higher education level, mothers lack of knowledge about the importance of colostrum were negatively associated with AEBF. As most mothers lacked knowledge of the lactation physiology, higher formal education was often not related to a better knowledge of breastfeeding. In conclusion, culturally sensitive nutrition education sessions are necessary for both urban and rural women. Special attention must be given to the nutritional status, especially of rural women, before or, at the latest, during pregnancy. Personalized nutritional guidance for expectant mothers should be based on comprehensive consideration of all aspects, such as dietary intake, place of origin (rural vs. urban), body height, and gestational weight gain etc. Better guidance for the gestational weight gain of Chinese mothers needs to be established. Although disparities between urban and rural areas exist, the situation of infant feeding is inadequate in both settings. The high prevalence of CS, the mothers’ poor knowledge of the physiology of breast milk production, the mothers’ lack of breastfeeding confidence, the widespread advertising of breast milk substitutes, and the changing perception of the function of breasts, may influence the unfavorable breastfeeding behavior observed in the study area. In order to prevent CS and to promote breastfeeding, education about the complications and disadvantages of CS especially among mothers with higher education, older childbearing age, and primiparas needs to be strengthened. Supporting adequate maternal nutrition during the reproductive period and creating a good breastfeeding environment requires the efforts of the whole society.
Plant ammonium transporter (AMT) integration in regulatory networks
(2016) Straub, Tatsiana; Ludewig, Uwe
Ammonium is a ubiquitous key nutrient in agricultural soils and the preferred nitrogen source for plants. However, excessive ammonium accumulation represses plant growth and development. Ammonium is taken up by plant cells via high-affinity ammonium transporters (AMTs). Six AMT genes were identified in Arabidopsis, which are separated in two distinct clades, five AMT1s and one AMT2. In the plasma membrane, AMT proteins form homo- and heterotrimers with extra-cytoplasmic N-termini and cytoplasmic C-termini. In addition to transcriptional and post-transcriptional control of AMTs by ammonium, phosphorylation in the C-terminus serves as a rapid allosteric switch of the AMT activity and prevents further internal ammonium accumulation. In a physiological screen, a kinase (CIPK23) was identified, which directly regulates ammonium transport activity under high-NH4+ conditions. Interestingly, CIPK23 is already known to regulate nitrate and potassium uptake in roots. Lesion of the CIPK23 gene significantly increased ammonium uptake, but caused growth inhibition. As expected, cipk23 plants were also limited in potassium accumulation, but high potassium availability failed to rescue the cipk23 phenotype. Furthermore, cipk23 plants were more susceptible to methylammonium (MeA), a non-metabolizable analogue of ammonium. The sensitivity to MeA was lost upon genetic suppression of AMT1 genes in the cipk23 background. The data suggest that CIPK23 directly phosphorylates AMT1s in a complex with CBL1 (calcineurin B-like protein) and thereby regulates transport activity. The expression of the CIPK23 and the CBL1 genes were ammonium-dependent and increased when N-starved plants were resupplied with ammonium. Furthermore, cbl1 mutants had enhanced NH4+ accumulation; this phenocopies the larger ammonium uptake in the cipk23 loss-of-function mutant. In vivo experiments demonstrated bimolecular interaction between CIPK23, AMT1;1, and AMT1;2, but not with AMT2;1, suggesting direct phosphorylation of AMT1-type ammonium transporters by CIPK23. However, Western blot analysis with the cipk23 mutant suggested that the loss of the kinase was not sufficient to completely abolish AMT1;1 and AMT1;2 phosphorylation, indicating several independent pathways to regulate ammonium transport activity in AMT trimers. The data identify complex post-translational regulation of ammonium transporters via the CBL1–CIPK23 pathway, which ensures reduction of AMT1 activity and suppression of ammonium uptake under high external NH4+ concentrations.
A simple artificial diet for feeding and sequestration assays for the milkweed bugs Oncopeltus fasciatus and Spilostethus saxatilis
(2023) Espinosa del Alba, Laura; Petschenka, Georg
Insect artificial diets are not only an important tool for mass rearing, nutritional research, and maintaining laboratory colonies but also for studying insect‐plant interactions. For herbivorous insects able to sequester plant toxins, feeding and sequestration assays based on artificial diet allow for the investigation of physiological, ecological, and evolutionary questions which may be difficult to study using real plants representing complex chemical environments. We developed a simple artificial diet, consisting of sunflower meal pressed into pills, for the milkweed bugs Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas) and Spilostethus saxatilis (Scopoli) (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae), which are capable of sequestering cardenolides and colchicum alkaloids, respectively. We assessed insect performance, suitability of the diet for sequestration assays, and its shelf life. Compared to sunflower seeds which are widely used as a laboratory maintenance diet for milkweed bugs, no differences were found in terms of weight development, presence of deformities, speed of development, or mortality. Importantly, after feeding O. fasciatus and S. saxatilis sunflower pills enriched with crystalline ouabain (cardenolide) or colchicine (colchicum alkaloid), respectively, sequestration was observed in both species. Moreover, as a prerequisite to test ecological hypotheses, our method allows for adequate concentration control and homogenous distribution of toxins across the diet. Under relatively warm conditions (27 °C and 60% r.h.), the new diet was stable for up to 10 days when used for feeding assays with adult bugs. Therefore, studies focusing on the role of plant toxins in predator–prey interactions and plant defense, but also insecticide research could benefit from using this approach.
The potential of smartphone apps to collect self-recorded data in agricultural households : a study on time-use in Zambia
(2019) Daum, Thomas; Birner, Regina
Mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) have spread across the developing world and are used increasingly by smallholder farmers. While the potential of ICTs, such as smartphone applications, to provide new opportunities for agricultural development is widely acknowledged, the potential to use them as research tools has not been explored. This thesis assesses the potential of smartphone applications for the collection of data from agricultural households in developing countries. Can smartphone applications that use visual tools be used for self-recording of data by the respondents themselves where literacy levels are low? Can such smartphone applications that allow for real-time data recording increase the accuracy of the collected data? Answering these questions is important as, so far, data from agricultural households are usually collected using surveys, which are prone to recall biases. This is a problem, as researchers, policymakers and development practitioners need reliable data for their work. Poor data can lead to misguided policy recommendations and actions with adverse effects on vulnerable population groups. This can lead to agricultural development trajectories that are socially unequal and unsustainable. To assess the potential of smartphone apps to collect self-recorded data, a smartphone application called Timetracker was developed as part of this thesis. The Timetracker allows study respondents to record data in real time with the help of illustrations. Recording data in real time reduces recall bias, and using pictures ensures that participants with low literacy can use the application. In its current form, the Timetracker can be used to collect data on time-use and nutrition. Collecting reliable data on time-use and nutrition is key for various strands of research. For example, time-use data are needed to calculate labor productivity and analyze how productivity is affected by new technologies. Time-use data can also help reveal gender-based power relations and asymmetries by pointing out unpaid domestic work. Similarly, nutritional data are crucial for various academic fields and debates. For example, nutritional data are needed to explore the factors determining food and nutrition security, to study how farm diversity affects consumption diversity and to monitor food and nutrition policies and programs. This study is based on three main chapters, which reflect the main objectives of the whole thesis: 1) to explore and test whether smartphone applications can be used to collect data from rural households in developing countries focusing on time-use and nutrition data, 2) to assess the accuracy of data collected with smartphone applications vis-à-vis recall-based data collection methods, and 3) to use the data to understand the effects of agricultural mechanization on the intrahousehold allocation of time-use within smallholder farming households in Zambia. The first two chapters have a primarily methodological focus. The last chapter is an empirical study. This thesis concludes that in addition to improving the accuracy of socioeconomic data collection, smartphone applications may open new research pathways, including through the opportunities provided by real-time data collection and by combining self-recorded data with sensor-recorded data, which may open interesting transdisciplinary research pathways. This thesis suggests that there is a large and still untapped potential for using smartphone applications to collect data on complex agricultural systems in the digital age.
The road half-traveled : governance reforms of food and nutrition programs in India
(2018) Kumar, Sandhya Sasi; Birner, Regina
Since its founding as a social welfare state, India has been meandering through “a life of contradictions” when it comes to social and economic equality. A potent indicator of this reality is the state of food and nutrition security across the country. India’s meager progress comes on the heels of rapid economic growth over the last two decades and a slew of public programs have attempted to address the multi-faceted nature of food and nutrition security. These efforts have included subsidized grains for households through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), village health, nutrition and education programming through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRCs) to treat cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Though these programs have been scaled across the country, numerous governance challenges and institutional failures have persisted. The latest development in India’s food and nutrition policy landscape is the National Food Security Act (hereafter referred to as the Act) of 2013, which leverages existing national programs, including the TPDS and ICDS, to grant legal entitlements to nearly 70% of the total population. This Act was the fruit of a rights-based movement in India that demanded for over a decade to codify social and economic rights. However, the question arises as to whether this new Act been able to achieve its goal to ensure food and nutrition security by strengthening the governance of these programs? This is the central question of the present thesis. This thesis investigates how the Act has reformed the implementation of food and nutrition programs in the states of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and the capital of New Delhi. The four key objectives of this study are to investigate 1) what changes are prescribed by the Act; 2) how effective these reforms have been in addressing persistent governance challenges; 3) what challenges remain and why; and 4) what strategies could be used to address these gaps. A qualitative case study approach was applied, which involved the following data collection methods: key informant and in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, matrix ranking and process net-mapping, an innovative participatory tool that maps complex institutional processes and actors. This thesis is comprised of nine chapters. The first chapter introduces the puzzle of India’s nutritional status and explores why government efforts to tackle this problem have had tepid results. The second chapter presents the conceptual framework that defines governance challenges and an institutional framework of demand and supply side factors that contribute to effective policy and programming. Chapters three and four present an overview of the TPDS, ICDS and NRCs, and review the existing literature on the governance issues of these programs. Chapter 5 lays out the study design, methods and ethical protocols. Chapters six through eight explore each of the three programs and present key findings across the selected study sites. The last chapter presents cross-cutting conclusions for these programs in the wake of the Act and proposes a way forward to address institutional gaps in tackling food and nutrition security.
The role of social protection and agriculture for improved nutrition in Ethiopia
(2022) Bahru, Bezawit Adugna; Zeller, Manfred
Nahezu alle Nationen haben sich im Rahmen der Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) verpflichtet, die Welt bis 2030 von Hunger und Armut zu befreien. Bei der Reduzierung von Armut und Hunger wurden erhebliche Fortschritte erzielt. Dennoch lebt ein erheblicher Teil der Menschen im globalen Süden, vor allem in ländlichen Gebieten, immer noch in Armut, hungert und leidet unter Mangelernährung. Sozialer Schutz und eine ernährungssensitive Landwirtschaft gehören zu den Strategien, die von mehreren Ländern umgesetzt werden, um Armut, Ernährungsunsicherheit und Mangelernährung zu lindern. Während es einen Konsens über die Auswirkungen von sozialen Sicherungssystemen auf Armut gibt, sind die Erkenntnisse über ihre Auswirkungen auf Landwirtschaft, Ernährungssicherheit und Ernährung nicht eindeutig. Darüber hinaus ist die Wirkung von ernährungssensitiven landwirtschaftlichen Interventionen, insbesondere die Rolle der Produktionsdiversifizierung, auf die Verbesserung der Ernährung von Kleinbauern nicht gründlich untersucht. Äthiopien stellt eine interessante Fallstudie dar, um die Rolle von Sozialschutz und ernährungssensitiver Landwirtschaft auf das Wohlergehen von Haushalten zu untersuchen. Äthiopien hat eines der größten Sozialschutzprogramme in Afrika, das Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP). In jüngster Zeit hat Äthiopien auch mehrere Anstrengungen unternommen, um die Landwirtschaft und Maßnahmen zur sozialen Sicherung ernährungssensitiv zu gestalten. Darüber hinaus ist das Land nicht nur eine der am schnellsten wachsenden Volkswirtschaften derWelt, sondern weist auch hohe Raten an Armut, Ernährungsunsicherheit und Unterernährung auf. AmBeispiel Äthiopiens werden in dieser Dissertation die Auswirkungen des PSNP auf die Landwirtschaft, die Ernährungssicherheit und die Ernährung sowie die Auswirkungen der landwirtschaftlichen Diversifizierung auf die Ernährung von Haushalten und Kindern untersucht. Zu diesem Zweck werden zwei Längsschnittdatensätze aus Äthiopien verwendet - die Living Standard Measurement Study - Integrated Surveys on Agriculture und die Young Lives Kohortenstudie. Diese Arbeit ist in sechs Kapitel gegliedert. Kapitel 1 stellt den konzeptionellen Rahmen vor und hebt die Zusammenhänge zwischen Sozialschutz, Landwirtschaft und Ernährung hervor. Kapitel 2 informiert über die Datenquellen und die in den folgenden drei Kapiteln verwendeten Identifikationsstrategien. Kapitel 3 evaluiert die Auswirkungen einer Sozialschutzmaßnahme auf eine Reihe von landwirtschaftlichen Ergebnissen. Kapitel 4 analysiert die Rolle von landwirtschaftlicher Diversifizierung auf die Ernährungssituation von Haushalten und Kindern. Kapitel 5 schätzt die Auswirkungen des PSNP auf die Ernährungssicherheit der Haushalte und die Ernährung der Kinder. Kapitel 6 schließt mit politischen und methodischen Implikationen und skizziert Empfehlungen für zukünftige Forschung. Seit 2005 hat Äthiopien seine Sozialschutzstrategie von Hilfsmaßnahmen, die hauptsächlich aus einer Ad-hoc-Verteilung von Nahrungsmitteln/Bargeld nach Dürren bestehen, auf ein entwicklungsorientiertes Sozialschutzprogramm namens Productive Safety Net (PSNP) umgestellt. PSNP bietet Geld- und Sachmitteltransfers für Arbeitsleistungen in öffentlichen Arbeitsprojekten wie Straßen, Bewässerung, Schulen, Krankenhäuser und Ausbildungszentren für Bauern. Ergänzt wird das Programm durch Vermögensaufbau, die das Ziel haben, den Lebensunterhalt der beteiligten Haushalte zu verbessern. Daher könnte die Teilnahme der Haushalte am PSNP die landwirtschaftliche Produktion zu verbessern, indem Liquiditäts- und Kreditbeschränkungen gemildert werden, Sicherheiten erhöht werden, eine Versicherung gegen Risiken besteht, der Zugang zu Betriebsmitteln und Agrarmärkten verbessert wird und gemeinschaftliche landwirtschaftliche Vermögen aufgebaut werden. Kapitel 3 bewertet die Auswirkungen des PSNP auf den Besitz von Produktionsmitteln, die Einführung von verbessertem Saatgut und Düngemitteln, die Vielfalt von Nutzpflanzen und Viehbeständen, Beratungsdienste und die Kontrolle von Frauen über Ressourcen durch die Anwendung einer gezielten Maximum-Likelihood-Schätzung. Der Artikel trägt zur Literatur bei, indem er eine Reihe von Ergebnissen entlang der kausalen Zusammenhänge berücksichtigt und eine Methode einsetzt, die Algorithmen des maschinellen Lernens verwendet. Das Modell liefert Schätzungen, die weniger anfällig für Fehlspezifikationen und Ausreißer sind. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die PSNP-Teilnahme den Besitz von landwirtschaftlichen Werkzeugen, denWert von Viehverkäufen, den Anteil des Haushaltseinkommens aus außerlandwirtschaftlichen Quellen, die für landwirtschaftliche Arbeiten aufgewendete Zeit und den Zugang zu Krediten auf Haushaltsebene erhöht. Darüber hinaus verbessert die PSNP-Teilnahme den Zugang der Gemeinschaft zu Bewässerung und Beratungsleistungen zum Management natürlicher Ressourcen sowie den Zugang der Haushalte zu Krediten, die Ernteproduktion und die Viehzucht. Die PSNP-Teilnahme hat jedoch keinen Einfluss auf die Nutzung von Technologien, die Kontrolle der Frauen über das Einkommen, die Ernte und den Viehbestand sowie den Zugang zu Beratungsdiensten auf Haushaltsebene. Die Ergebnisse zeigen auch, dass PSNP-Teilnehmer eine geringere Ausstattung mit langlebigen Vermögenswerten, Humankapital und Land haben, was einen verbesserten Zugang der Gemeinschaft zu Betriebsmitteln und Beratungsdiensten zur Verbesserung der landwirtschaftlichen Ergebnisse behindern könnte. Diese Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit, Interventionen auf Haushaltsebene zu integrieren, die die Ausstattung der Haushalte anheben könnten, um eine Vermögensschwelle zu schaffen, die die produktive Nutzung des geschaffenen Gemeinschaftsvermögens ermöglicht. Eine Möglichkeit, dies zu erreichen, könnte darin bestehen, Bargeld-/Sachmitteltransfers durch einen gut konzipierten Vermögenstransfer zu ergänzen. Andere Studien haben Verzögerungen und Unterbezahlung von berechtigten öffentlichen Arbeitstransfers gezeigt. Daher ist die Verbesserung der Pünktlichkeit und des Umfangs von Geld-/Sachleistungenebenfalls entscheidend, um Auswirkungen auf die Landwirtschaft zu erzielen. Dadurch kann dieWirkung des PSNP über die Verbesserung des Zugangs der Gemeinden zu Betriebsmitteln hinausgehen und die landwirtschaftliche Entwicklung fördern, was letztlich die Lebensbedingungen im ländlichen Raum verbessert. Die Landwirtschaft als Quelle von Nahrung und Lebensunterhalt für Hungernde und Unterernährte spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei der Linderung von Unterernährung und den damit verbundenen Folgen für das Wohlergehen. Insbesondere in einem Kontext, in dem die Subsistenzlandwirtschaft einen großen Teil der landwirtschaftlichen Produktion ausmacht und in dem die Marktteilnahme durch Marktversagen behindert wird, spielt die Eigenproduktion eine entscheidende Rolle für die Ernährungssicherheit der Haushalte und die Ernährungsergebnisse. Die Beweise dafür, ob die Produktionsvielfalt die Ernährung verbessert, sind nicht eindeutig. Sie stützen sich größtenteils auf Studien, die sich nicht mit der endogenen Beziehung zwischen Produktionsund Konsumentscheidungen befasst haben. Um diese Forschungslücke zu schließen, analysiert Kapitel 4 die Auswirkungen der Produktionsvielfalt auf die Ernährung der Haushalte und die Unterernährung von Kindern. Um die Endogenität dieser Auswirkungen zu berücksichtigen, wird ein Instrumentalvariablenansatz gewählt Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Produktionsvielfalt mit Verbesserungen in der Ernährung der Haushalte verbunden ist, nicht aber mit chronischer Unterernährung von Kindern. Die positiven Effekte könnten über drei möglicheWege zustande kommen: Konsum, verbesserte Agrarökologie aufgrund der Produktionsdiversifizierung und verbesserte Risikotragfähigkeit. Der Artikel findet einen höheren Konsum von nährstoffreicheren Lebensmitteln (Eier, Fisch, Früchte, Hülsenfrüchte/Nüsse/Samen, Fleisch,Wurzeln, Knollen, Milch, Milchprodukte und Gemüse) in Haushalten mit höherer Produktionsvielfalt. Dennoch ist die Produktionsdiversifizierung über sieben Lebensmittelgruppen hinaus negativ mit der Ernährung der Haushalte verbunden. Dies könnte auf entgangene Einkommensvorteile durch Spezialisierung zurückzuführen sein. Was die Rolle der Märkte betrifft, so wurde gezeigt, dass der Marktzugang die Ernährungsvielfalt der Haushalte verbessert, selbst wenn die Produktionsvielfalt hoch ist. Unsere Analyse der Rolle der Marktteilnahme zeigt einen positiven Einfluss der Marktteilnahme auf die Ernährung der Haushalte, findet aber keinen Einfluss auf die Ernährung der Kinder. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass ein durchschnittlicher Landwirt in unserer Stichprobe etwa sechs Gruppen von Nahrungsmitteln produziert, dürfte die Förderung einer größeren Produktionsvielfalt negative Auswirkungen auf die Ernährung der Haushalte haben. Daher sollten sich politische Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung der Ernährung von Kleinbauern darauf konzentrieren, die Bedingungen für die Marktteilnahme zu verbessern, anstatt die Produktionsvielfalt zu erhöhen. Während es zahlreiche Belege für die Auswirkungen von Maßnahmen zur sozialen Sicherung auf die Armut gibt, ist ihre Rolle bei der Bekämpfung der eigentlichen Ursachen und Erscheinungsformen von Armut, wie z. B. der Unterernährung von Kindern, nicht gut dokumentiert. Dazu stammen die verfügbaren Erkenntnisse über die Auswirkungen von Maßnahmen zur sozialen Sicherung auf die Ernährungssicherheit von Haushalten und die Ernährung von Kindern aus Programmen in lateinamerikanischen Ländern, die mit unterschiedlichen institutionellen Kapazitäten und Umsetzungsmodalitäten durchgeführt wurden. Darüber hinaus ist die Evidenz, ob Maßnahmen zur sozialen Sicherung die Kinderernährung beeinflussen, nicht schlüssig. Auch in Äthiopien lieferten die wenigen Studien, die die Auswirkungen von Maßnahmen zur sozialen Sicherung auf die Ernährung von Kindern und die Ernährungssicherheit von Haushalten untersuchten, gemischte Erkenntnisse. In diesen Studien wurden Methoden verwendet, die anfällig für Verzerrungen durch zeitvariable Störfaktoren sind, die mit dem Programmdesign und der Implementierung zusammenhängen. In Kapitel 5 wird diese verbleibende Lücke geschlossen, indem die Auswirkungen des PSNP auf die Ernährungssicherheit von Haushalten und die Ernährung von Kindern untersucht wird. Dazu werden marginale Strukturmodelle angewandt, die nicht nur für zeitvariante, sondern auch für zeitinvariante Einflussfaktoren adjustieren. Die Studie stellt fest, dass die Teilnahme am PSNP zwar die Häufigkeit der Mahlzeiten für Kinder erhöht, aber keinen Einfluss auf die Ernährungssicherheit der Haushalte und die Ernährungsvielfalt der Kinder, die z-Scores für die Körpergröße, den Body-Mass-Index, und dieWahrscheinlichkeit vonWachstumshemmung und Untergewicht hat. Es wird außerdem festgestellt, dass wichtige Determinanten für die Kinderernährung, wie z.B. die Bildung der Mutter, die Ernährungsvielfalt des Kindes, die Ernährungssicherheit des Haushalts, das langfristige Vermögen, die Ausgaben und der Ernährungszustand während des 1.000-Tage-Fensters bei den Kindern in den Haushalten der PSNP-Teilnehmer niedriger sind. Darüber hinaus weisen Experten darauf hin, dass die Integration von Maßnahmen zur sozialen Sicherung mit anderen sektoralen Programmen entscheidend ist, um Auswirkungen auf die Ernährung zu erzielen. Solche Integrationen fehlen bei der Umsetzung des PSNP. Es wird daher empfohlen, das PSNP mit anderen sektoralen Programmen zu integrieren, die ernährungsspezifisch und ernährungssensitiv sind. Zu den bewährten Interventionen gehören unter anderem die Förderung des Zugangs zu sauberem Wasser und sanitären Einrichtungen, der Zugang zu Gesundheitsdiensten, die Stärkung der Rolle der Frau, Ernährungserziehung und die Einführung landwirtschaftlicher Technologien. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass diese Arbeit am Beispiel Äthiopiens einen Beitrag zur wachsenden Literatur über die Wirkungsevaluierung von Programmen zur Erreichung der Nachhaltigen Entwicklungsziele bis 2030 leistet. Dies wird durch die Anwendung neuer Techniken in der Wirkungsevaluation mit beobachtenden Studien erreicht, einschließlich solcher Techniken, die integrierte Lernalgorithmen verwenden. Sie zeigt, dass sich eine höhere Produktionsvielfalt negativ auf die Ernährung der Haushalte auswirkt, während Marktzugang und -teilnahme die Ernährung der Haushalte verbessern. Daher könnte die Verbesserung der Bedingungen für die Marktteilnahme und die verstärkte Teilnahme an Märkten einer derWege sein, über den die Landwirtschaft die Ernährung verbessert, insbesondere in Kontexten, in denen die Produktion bereits ausreichend diversifiziert ist. Die Studie zeigt auch, dass trotz des Potenzials von Maßnahmen zur sozialen Sicherung, die Ursache von Armut zu bekämpfen, indem sie die Lebensgrundlage von Haushalten verbessern und den generationenübergreifenden Kreislauf der Armut durchbrechen, diese Auswirkungen in einem der größten Sozialschutzprogramme Afrikas weitgehend ausbleiben. Um diese Einschränkungen zu beheben und den Beitrag des PSNP über die begrenzten Auswirkungen auf Ernährung und Landwirtschaft hinaus zu erhöhen, wird die Integration von ernährungssensitiven Interventionen und gut konzipierten Vermögenstransferprogrammen empfohlen.