Nutrition and Dietetics

In this module, three service learning areas were included, namely:

• Dietetic Service Learning – Southern Free State (Xhariep District)
• Nutrition Intervention Programme – Mangaung (Bloemfontein).
• Home projects.

Southern Free State (Xhariep District)

Health talks to Diabetic and Hypertension support groups:

• Edenburg (Nelson Mandela Clinic).
• Reddersburg (Phekolong Clinic).
• Springfontein (Sehularo Tau Clinic).

Health talks to ante-natal support groups:

• Philippolis (Philippolis Clinic).
• Springfontein (Sehularo Tau Clinic).

Health days:

• Fauresmith: MEC Budget Speech Health Day.
• Trompsburg
• Health Day on the Vlakfontein Farm.

Support with PCV and Vitamin A campaign:

• Philippolis: Ipopeng Crèche, Wielie Walie Crèche.
• Trompsburg: Haas Das Crèche.
• Edenburg: Various crèches.Health talks at schools:
• Philippolis: Wielie Walie Crèche.
• Edenburg: Edenhoogte Primary school, Edenburg Combined School.
• Trompsburg: Noordmansville Primary School.

Health talks/events at old-age homes:

• Trompsburg: Old-age group (Luncheon Club).
• Springfontein: Luncheon Club.

Various projects in the Xhariep district

Vegetable garden monitoring:

• Philippolis: Bergmanshoogte and Poding Tse Rolo community.

Vegetable gardening

Food service training and monitoring:

• Smithfield: Food service training for kitchen personnel at Stoffel Coetzee Hospital.
• Trompsburg: Food service training for kitchen personnel at Trompsburg Old-age Home.
• School health with nursing personnel, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and dentist.
• Edenburg: Edenburg Combined and Edenhoogte School.

Training at Primary Health Care Clinics:

• Springfontein: Sehularo Tau Clinic.
• Edenburg: Nelson Mandela Clinic.
• Springfontein: Sehularo Tau Clinic.
• Edenburg: Nelson Mandela Clinic.

Nutrition Intervention programme – Mangaung (Bloemfontein)

The programme is executed in the Chris Hani suburb and at the MUCPP Clinic in Phelindaba. The intervention programme is based on nutrition surveillance, nutrition education and nutrition supplementation.

The project consists of a community-based programme and a health facility-based programme:

Community-based programme

This part of the project is implemented by means of house visits. All households are visited individually to do surveillance of the health and nutritional status, as well as the financial and social status. Appropriate actions are taken to address the specific individual/household’s needs. Education, growth monitoring, food supplementation or referral to a health facility is done.
Students also do growth monitoring at clinics, schools and crèches.

As part of the Integrated Nutrition Programme the Free State Department of Health (DoH) donated a vehicle for the implementation of this project. The vehicle is equipped with education material, anthropometric equipment, vegetable seed and nutrition supplements.

Health facility-based programme

This part of the programme is executed at the MUCPP Clinic. Patients from the Nutrition Centre are monitored and treated. Patients/clients are counselled individually as well as in groups. Nursing staff is assisted with executing growth monitoring and the nutrition supplementation programme of the DoH.

Students contribute to the education programme by giving health talks (nutrition focused) at health centres and clinics. The education programme is accentuated during national health weeks (for example, the breastfeeding week). Every student resides for two weeks (20 hours per week).

The success of the project is apparent in:

• The number of vegetable gardens.
• The dissemination of basic nutritional knowledge.
• The improvement of the nutritional status of malnourished people; changes in clinical signs and anthropometry of the severe cases can be observed.
• Attendance to clinics have improved (about 70% of patients attending the nutrition centre at MUCPP were referred from the relevant community).
• Social problems and associated hunger were addressed with the assistance of the CHW’s and social welfare officials (as a result of our referrals).
• Interdisciplinary referrals resulted in an increase in patients consulted and treated by occupational therapists, physiotherapists, a dentist and psychologist.