TITLE:
Diet-nutrition-related cancer prevention knowledge and beliefs of Sudanese in Khartoum: A descriptive study
AUTHORS:
Adelia Bovell-Benjamin, Essam Elmubarak
KEYWORDS:
Food and Nutrition Knowledge; Cancer Prevention; Dietary Beliefs; Food Preferences; Food Practices and Purchasing Patterns
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,
Vol.3 No.3,
June
14,
2013
ABSTRACT: Cancer appears to pose a major threat to the health of
the Sudanese population. It is the third leading cause of death in the Sudan
after malaria and pneumonia, accounting for 5% of all deaths. In 2005,
approximately 22,000 people in the Sudan died from cancer and 17,000 of these
people were less than 70 years old. This study was designed to: 1) assess
nutrition knowledge and selected dietary beliefs related to cancer in Sudanese
residing in Khartoum; 2) identify perceived barriers to the adoption of
eating behaviors consistent with those recommended for cancer prevention; and
3) describe the food preferences and dietary practices in Sudanese residing
in Khartoum. An interviewer-administered questionnaire elicited demographic
information, cancer-related food and nutrition knowledge, food preferences, selected
dietary beliefs, barriers to healthy eating and food practices from 182
participants between the ages of 18 and 35 years. More than 50% of females and
males correctly identified the food lowest in fiber from a given list.
Respondents were knowledgeable about the fat content of their traditional
foods, but unaware of the different types of fat. Only 8.8% of the respondents thought
that consumption of fruits and vegetables reduced cancer risk. Resondents
perceived nutritionists as the most reliable source of information about nutrition
and cancer, and the media as the best source of information on nutrition and
healthy cooking. “Samin”,
feta cheese, a variety of stews, “Zalabia”, lean meat, brown bread, sesame oil, dried okra, fried
fish, and chicken were described as preferred food items by respondents. Daily
salt/ sodium intake was described by 44% and 39% of the male and female
respondents, respectively, as “high” (>2400 mg/day). The findings of this
study have clear implications for aggressive nutrition education intervention
programs with emphasis on the traditional foods of the Sudan.