Mizan -Tepi University

College of Health Sciences

Human Nutrition For Midwifery Students

By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition)

5/1/2023 By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition) 1
Introduction To Human Nutrition

Learning Objectives

At the end of this session you should be able to:

 Define nutrition, food, diet, nutrients and

malnutrition.
 Understand the classification of nutrients.
 Identify the public health importance of nutrition.
 Identify why nutrition matters in Ethiopia.

5/1/2023 By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition) 2

Introduction to Nutrition

Human nutrition
 The science of foods, the nutrients and the
substances therein, their action, interaction and
balance in relation to health and diseases, and

the process of digestion and absorption food in

the body,

 it also concerned with social, cultural and

physiological implications of food and eating.
5/1/2023 By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition) 3
 Cont’…
 Nutrition science is the area of knowledge
Science of nutrition is the study of the
"totality of the relationships between the
functional (metabolic,behavioral)
characteristics of the organism and its
dietary environment.
 Here the emphasis is given to the nutrients
and to the diet as a whole".

5/1/2023 By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition) 4

 Nutrition deals with the nutrients; their
characteristics, functions, body’s quantitative need
for them,
 and their food sources, the effect of an
inadequate intake and for some nutrients an
excessive intake.
 With the digestion of food ,absorption of end
products, their utilization in the body…….

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 Food
A store of raw materials and potential energy.
 It is also defined as anything edible as food based on
specific culture, religion, etc.
 that has a chemical composition which enables it to
do one or more of the following:
 Provide the body with energy to carry out several
activities.
Provide material to allow growth, maintenance, repair or
reproduction to proceed.
Supply substances, which normally regulate the production
of energy or the process of growth, repair or
reproduction ( nutrients).

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 Diet
 A pattern of food consumption which is followed by a
population or an individual.
Nutrient
 Is an active ingredient in the food that play specific
structural or functional role.
 "Fully characterized (physical, chemical, physiological)
constituent of a food, natural or designed, that serves as a
significant energy yielding substrate, or a precursor for the
synthesis of macromolecules and/or of other components
needed for normal cell synthesis of macromolecules and/or of
other components needed for normal cell differentiation,
growth, renewal, repair, defense and/or maintenance or a
required signaling molecule, cofactor or determinant of
normal molecular structure/function and/or a promoter of
cell and organ integrity" 5/1/2023 By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition) 7
 Nutrients are the substances in food that the body
uses to function properly.

 Nutrients are used by the body to provide energy

and to support growth, maintenance and repair of
body tissues.

Describing the Nutrients

 There are several ways to classify the classes of

nutrients.
–Organic or inorganic
–Essential or nonessential
–Macronutrient or micronutrient
–Energy yielding or not
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Classifying Nutrients

 Essential nutrients – nutrients that the body

either cannot make or cannot make enough of to
meet its needs.
-These nutrients must be obtained from foods
(ingested in some manner).
-Examples:
• Vitamins
• Calcium, iron, and other minerals
• Some of the amino acids

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Cont’…

 Nonessential nutrients
– body can make from other nutrients ingested.

Examples:
• Cholesterol
• Some amino acids

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Classifying Nutrients by Composition

 Organic nutrients - contain carbon

- Examples; - Carbohydrates,
- Lipids,
- Proteins,
- Vitamins

 Inorganic nutrients- do not contain carbon

Examples; Minerals & water

5/1/2023 By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition) 11

Classifying Nutrients …

o Energy-yielding nutrients (3):

 Carbohydrates
 Fats (lipids)
 Proteins

o Not energy-yielding nutrients (3):

- Vitamins,
- Minerals, and
- Water
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 Quantity Needed
 Macronutrients: need in relatively large
amounts(many grams daily).

- Example; - Carbohydrates
- Lipids
- Proteins

 Micronutrients: need in relatively small amounts

(milligrams or micrograms daily).

- Example; Minerals and vitamins

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 Malnutrition

 Malnutrition essentially means “bad

nourishment” which generally refers both to
under nutrition and over nutrition.

 Mostly equated with under nutrition.

 Malnutrition is characterized by inadequate or

excess intake of protein, energy, and
micronutrients such as vitamins, and the
frequent infections and disorders that result
CNCD.
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Public Health Importance (Why we study
nutrition?)
– Human beings eat to survive.
– Well nourished child is able to reach his/her full
potential
• Physically
• Mentally and
• Intellectually
– Malnutrition remains one of the most common causes
of morbidity and mortality among children through out
the developing world.
Malnutrition has been responsible, directly or indirectly, for
• 60% of the 10.9 million deaths annually among under five
children.
• Over two thirds of these deaths which are often associated
with inappropriate feeding practices occur during the first
year of life. 5/1/2023 By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition) 15
 According to EDHS 11 :-
• 44, 29 and 10% of children are stunted, underweight and wasted,
respectively.
• 24% of under five children are severely stunted and 2% are severely
wasted.
• Indicating that malnutrition is an important
public health problem in Ethiopia.
– Ethiopia is a country in transition and health risks
associated with overweight (obesity related illnesses
such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular
disease, etc) might (will) be of major public health
concern in the near future.

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 - Nutrition plays a key role in many areas of public
health such as child health, maternal health and
obesity related illnesses.

-The role of nutrition in public health is relevant if

we consider that so many illnesses and deaths
derive from under and over nutrition.

– Unquestionably, Nutrition is the single most

important component of preventive health care and
primary determinants of survival.

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Why nutrition matters in Ethiopia?
 Ethiopia is one of the most food insecure countries
in the world having both chronic and transitory
food insecurity and frequent attacks of famine.

 Food insecurity incorporates- low food intake ,

variable access to food , and low utilization.

 Famines and food shortages brought on by drought,

to a lesser extent triggered by flood, pests, war and
livestock diseases have been a major problem for
many decades.
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 Nutrition is important in Ethiopia since there is:
-Recurrent food insecurity at the national and
household level
- High rate of both macro and micronutrient
deficiency
- Intergenerational link of the under nutrition

 The impact of such high rate of under nutrition was

estimated to be huge in terms of:
Increased susceptibility to infection (diseases)
Poor physical and mental capacity
High cost for care of those affected by
malnutrition
Underdevelopment of the country
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 Nutrition’s contributions to the attainment
of the MDGs
 Today close to a billion people still suffer from hunger and at
````
least 225 million of the world’s children under the age
of five suffer from acute and chronic under nutrition.

 Malnutrition results from a combination of problems related

to poor diet, ill-health and inappropriate care, which is
closely associated with poverty.

 Nutrition is linked to all Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs), which are themselves closely interlinked.

 the right to food and good nutrition for all is fundamental to

achieving the MDGs. 5/1/2023 By: Eden A. (Bsc, Msc in Human Nutrition) 20
 Nutrition in the MDGs
MDG
1. Eradicate extreme poverty
and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary
education
3. Promote gender equity and
empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria
and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental
sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership
for development
Relevance of nutrition
Contributes to human capacity and productivity throughout
life cycle and across generations
Improves readiness to learn and school achievement
Empowers women more than men
Reduces child mortality (over half attributable to
malnutrition)
Contributes to maternal health thru many pathways
Addresses gender inequalities in food, care and health
Slows onset and progression of AIDS
Important component of treatment and care
Highlights importance of local crops for diet diversity and
quality
Brings together many sectors around a common problem
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READING ASSIGNMET
 similarity and difference of the following
terms;-
 Public Health Nutrition
 Human nutrition
 Dietetics

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