Given Hapunda

213 and Soshanguve (26%). All three groups experienced money shortages occasionally (64%, 59%, 71% for Evaton West, Soshanguve and Vaal region, respectively) and the majority consumed meals two to three times a day (68% in Evaton West, 82% in Soshanguve and 89% in the Vaal region). Nutritional status results a) Anthropometric The anthropometric results are presented according to WHO growth standards of 2007. The anthropometric baseline results in Table 2 indicated that 49% and 32% of the pre-school children in Evaton West and Soshanguve, compared with 3% of the participants in the Vaal region, were thus stunted (<-3 SD) at baseline, this may result from a chronic insufficient food, nutrient intake and, possibly, frequent infections (UNICEF 2007). Wasting was observed mainly in the experimental group, with 19% and 20% of wasting prevalence in Evaton West and Soshanguve respectively, compared with only 3% in the Vaal region. Wasting is usually the result of acute insufficient food and nutrient intake (UNICEF, 2007). The BMI-for-age (thinness) results showed that in all three groups, the underweight prevalence was relatively low (0.9% in Evaton West, 4.3% in Soshanguve and 1.4% in the Vaal region). However, 3% and 6% of the participants were overweight in Evaton West and Soshanguve, respectively, and 4% and 1% were obese. None of the participants in the Vaal region were either overweight or obese. At follow-up stage, stunting and wasting results showed a significant improvement in Evaton West and the Vaal region, whereas stunting increased significantly in Soshanguve, regardless of a reduced prevalence of wasting. In both the experimental groups, the prevalence of underweight increased. In the Vaal region, at follow-up stage none of the participants presented with stunting, wasting or underweight. In Evaton West the prevalence of both overweight and obesity increased, whereas there was a decrease in Soshanguve. In the Vaal region, none of the children presented with overweight at follow-up, but the prevalence of obesity increased to 13% (Table 2).