A decade of nutrition research in Africa

Assessment of the evidence base and academic collaboration

Bibliographic Data

ID15096066
AuthorsCarl Lachat (0000-0002-1389-8855, Ghent University), Dominique Roberfroid (0000-0003-3881-5558, Instituut voor Tropische Geneeskunde), Lien Van den Broeck (Ghent University), Natalie Van den Briel (Ghent University), Eunice Nago (Université d'Abomey-Calavi), Annamarie Kruger (North-West University), Michelle Holdsworth (0000-0001-6028-885X, University of Sheffield), Christopher Garimoi Orach (0000-0002-5209-5529, Makerere University), Patrick Kolsteren (0000-0002-0504-2205, Ghent University, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume18
Issue10
Pages1890-1897
Publication date2015-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePublic Health Nutrition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1368-9800 • E-ISSN: 1475-2727
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1368980014002146
PMID25287557
OpenAlexW2049982589
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited20

Objective Malnutrition in Africa has not improved compared with other regions in the world. Investment in the build-up of a strong African research workforce is essential to provide contextual solutions to the nutritional problems of Africa. To orientate this process, we reviewed nutrition research carried out in Africa and published during the last decade. Design We assessed nutrition research from Africa published between 2000 and 2010 from MEDLINE and EMBASE and analysed the study design and type of intervention for studies indexed with major MeSH terms for vitamin A deficiency, protein–energy malnutrition, obesity, breast-feeding, nutritional status and food security. Affiliations of first authors were visualised as a network and power of affiliations was assessed using centrality metrics. Setting Africa. Subjects Africans, all age groups. Results Most research on the topics was conducted in Southern (36 %) and Western Africa (34 %). The intervention studies (9 %; n 95) mainly tested technological and curative approaches to the nutritional problems. Only for papers on protein–energy malnutrition and obesity did lead authorship from Africa exceed that from non-African affiliations. The 10 % most powerfully connected affiliations were situated mainly outside Africa for publications on vitamin A deficiency, breast-feeding, nutritional status and food security. Conclusions The development of the evidence base for nutrition research in Africa is focused on treatment and the potential for cross-African networks to publish nutrition research from Africa remains grossly underutilised. Efforts to build capacity for effective nutrition action in Africa will require forging a true academic partnership between African and non-African research institutions

Economic growth · Environmental health · General partnership · Geography · Malnutrition · Pathology · Political science · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Medicine · Nursing · Nutrition, Health, and Society Studies

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