Contribution of Amaranthus cruentus and Solanum macrocarpon Leaves Flour to Nutrient Intake and Effect on Nutritional Status of Rural School Children in Volta Region, Ghana

Table 4

Nutrient intake of study participants in comparison with Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) at baseline and end of the study.

Nutrient	Study group				value
	Intervention		Control
	Intake (mean ± SD)	Met DRI	Intake (mean ± SD)	Met DRI
Protein (g)
Baseline	32.7 ± 8.6	36 (67.9)	32.2 ± 9.5	33 (64.7)	0.793
End line	38.1 ± 9.1	45 (84.9)	32.6 ± 9.2	31 (66.0)	0.004
value	0.001	0.003	0.954	0.875
Iron (mg)
Baseline	14.2 ± 7.1	32 (60.4)	13.7 ± 6.1	32 (62.7)	0.680
End line	24.1 ± 10.9	48 (90.6)	14.8 ± 6.2	39 (83.0)	0.001
value	0.001	0.004	0.433	0.006
Beta-carotene (μg)
Baseline	215 ± 23	23 (43.4)	211 ± 20	21 (41.2)	0.065
End line	694 ± 33	50 (94.3)	418 ± 35	28 (60.9)	0.001
value	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.011
Zinc (mg)
Baseline	5.7 ± 2.1	22 (41.5)	5.4 ± 2.1	26 (51.0)	0.538
End line	13.8 ± 8.2	45 (89.4)	5.9 ± 2.3	25 (53.2)	0.001
value	0.001	0.03	0.185	0.231
Vitamin C (mg)
Baseline	23.8 ± 3.8	11 (20.8)	23.4 ± 4.7	10 (19.6)	0.673
End line	24.2 ± 3.9	12 (22.6)	24.±4.7	9 (19.1)	0.287
value	0.138	0.205	0.778	0.865
Folic acid (mg)
Baseline	30.5 ± 17.0	0 (0)	30.4 ± 12.2	0 (0)	0.971
End line	30.7 ± 16.9	0 (0)	30.8 ± 12.3	0 (0)	0.816
value	0.844	—	0.839	—

values within (across rows) and between (in most right column) study groups are significant at by the paired and independent t-tests, respectively, otherwise by the chi-square test. The number of study participants at baseline was intervention = 53 and control = 51 and at end line was intervention = 53 and control = 47. Met DRI is the number (n) and percentage (%) of participants that met the various Recommended Nutrient Intakes. Nutrient intake was assessed by combination of 24-hour recall and direct food weighing (foods served at lunch break) (DRI source: National Research Council 1989, Recommended Dietary Allowances: 10th edition, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press (https://doi.org/10.17226/1349)).