Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41923179›Full record

ArticleBMC nutrition2026

Impact of Moringa stenopetala dietary consumption on vitamin A deficiency and serum retinol levels among adults in Southern Ethiopia: a multicenter comparative cross-sectional study.

Eskeziyaw Agedew, Direslgne Misker, Terefe Gelibo, Alemayehu Bekele, Eyasu Makonnen, Ashenif Tadele, Haregewoyin Kerebih, Solomon Worku, Yalemtsehay Mekonnen, Adamu Belay and 5 more

Abstract read
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Article in BMC nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Eskeziyaw AgedewDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia. esk1agid@gmail.com.
Direslgne MiskerArba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Terefe GeliboUniversity of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada.
Alemayehu BekeleCDT-Africa, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Eyasu MakonnenCollege of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ashenif TadeleEthiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Haregewoyin KerebihDepartment of Biomedical Science, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.
Solomon WorkuSt. Paul Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Yalemtsehay MekonnenCollege of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Adamu BelayEthiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Feyessa ChallaEthiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Temesgen AwokeEthiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Negero GemedaEthiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Said KassaEthiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Asfaw DebellaEthiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Funding

Former, Ministry of Innovation and Technology Gov/MOE/ET/01/08
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMoringa stenopetala is a highly versatile plant that has long been utilized as food and traditional medicine by communities in the southern and southwestern regions of Ethiopia. The plant is characterized by its dark green similar to cabbage. Its leaves used to prepare by mixing with various cereal flours and incorporated into the traditional cultural diet of the community. Despite its widespread consumption and recognized nutritional value, the dietary contribution of Moringa stenopetala on vitamin A deficiency and serum retinol levels has not been sufficiently investigated at the community level. Therefore, the present study was conducted to assess the long-term effects of dietary Moringa stenopetala consumption on vitamin A deficiency and serum retinol concentration among adults residing in Moringa stenopetala-consuming and non-consuming areas of Southern Ethiopia.

methodsData were collected from study participants using a structured questionnaire designed to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics and dietary consumption of Moringa stenopetala. The survey data were collected using digital tablets programmed with the Cispro data collection application. In addition, venous blood samples (5–8 mL) were drawn from the antecubital vein using evacuated yellow-top tubes for the analysis of serum vitamin A parameters. The collected data were exported to SPSS version 25 for statistical analysis. A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to assess the mean differences in serum retinol levels between participants who consumed Moringa stenopetala and those who did not consuming group. The F-test and corresponding P-values were used to determine the statistical significance of the observed differences between the two groups.

resultThe prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among adults who consumed Moringa stenopetala was 10.18% (95% confidence limit [CL]: 5.40–11.40), whereas the prevalence among the non-consuming group was 19.85% (95% CI: 13.2–23.0), indicating a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.005). The mean serum retinol level was significantly higher among participants who consumed Moringa stenopetala (mean ± SD: 1.62 ± 0.77; 95% CI: 1.52–1.70) compared with those who did not consume it (1.24 ± 0.65; 95% CI: 1.16–1.32). Participants who reported consuming Moringa stenopetala throughout all seven days of the week exhibited a higher mean serum retinol level (1.88; 95% CL: 1.62–2.15) compared with individuals who did not consume it (1.26; 95% CL: 1.18–1.34). Furthermore, individuals who consumed Moringa stenopetala more than four times per day demonstrated higher mean serum retinol levels than those who consumed it fewer than two times per day, suggesting a positive association between the frequency of Moringa stenopetala consumption and serum retinol concentration.

conclusionFrequent consumption of Moringa stenopetala was associated with higher serum retinol levels, highlighting its significant role in reducing vitamin A deficiency. Promoting Moringa stenopetala based diets as an effective community level dietary based intervention.

Indexed as

Moringa stenopetalaSerum retinol levelSouth EthiopiaVitamin A deficiency

Identifiers

PMID41923179
PMCPMC13170015

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.