Premium
Acceptability of three nutritional supplements among pregnant and lactating women in Mexico
Author(s) -
Young Sera L,
HernandezCordero Sonia,
Garcia Ilian Blanco,
Arenas Anabelle Bonvecchio,
Neufeld Lynnette M
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.2_supplement.769
Subject(s) - residence , medicine , environmental health , indigenous , taste , breastfeeding , population , traditional medicine , demography , food science , pediatrics , sociology , biology , ecology , chemistry
The objective of this study was to assess the acceptability of three nutritional supplements among pregnant and lactating women: sprinkles, fortified foods and tablets. This is the first study of acceptability of Sprinkles in any adult population. All participants were beneficiaries of the Oportunidades program and came from urban, rural and indigenous communities in Mexico. Women were surveyed about the acceptability of these three supplements (n=268). Furthermore, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with women about their knowledge, perceptions, preferences, and preferred education delivery mechanisms (n=40). All participants recognized health benefits of the three supplements. However, tablets were the first choice because of their convenience (no mixing with food or preparation needed) and the absence of perceptible taste or smell. Women disliked that Sprinkles modified the taste and consistency of food and experienced the portion sizes of the fortified food as too large. Our results suggest that most women interviewed preferred tablets irrespective of residence and physiological status (pregnant/lactating). The Oportunidades program financed this study and holds the rights to the data presented.