Socio-economic correlates of rural women's nutrition : the special case of re-introducing quinoa in Ecuador

A cross-sectional study with repeated measures was conducted in the Ecuadorian Highlands to determine whether quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) production was associated with improved nutrition among women. Agricultural production systems, income, socio-economic status, morbidity, diet and protein-energy status were compared between a group of quinoa-producers and a randomly sampled quasi-control group of non-quinoa-producers (total n = 90 households) over four study rounds (pre- and post-quinoa-harvest).Seasonal and age-related variability in nutrient intakes as well as anthropometric status provided evidence of nutritional vulnerability in this population. Post-menopausal women (50+ years of age) consumed less energy (300 calories), less protein (11 g) and maintained a lower mean body weight (3.66 kg) compared to their younger counterparts. Seasonal changes in dietary quality and anthropometric status were apparent for women of all ages with less protein and micronutrients consumed post-harvest and mean arm circumference 6 cm smaller. Marked prevalences of inadequate intakes of many of these same nutrients (including iron, niacin, and vitamin B12) were demonstrated with the Probability Method.Correlates of diet quantity (energy), quality (animal protein adjusted for energy) and anthropometric status were established. By means of a Principal Components analysis, socio-economic status was shown to be comprised of two unique constructs: modern lifestyle and farming wealth. Both factors were related to diet quality but neither was related to diet quantity. Diet quality, in turn, was significantly related to anthropometric status in multivariate models.Women in quinoa-producing households consumed higher amounts of most nutrients and maintained larger arm protein-energy stores than those in non-quinoa-producing families. Trends were similar in children with no evidence of a difference in anthropometric status. However, quinoa-producers scored higher on both scales of socio-economic status, demonstrating self-selection bias. In multivariate models, quinoa production was related to increased intakes of energy, iron, zinc and folate but effects on animal protein intake and anthropometric status were confounded by the socio-economic effects. Therefore, while quinoa production was associated with positive nutritional impacts, the most impoverished households were left virtually untouched by this agricultural opportunity