Effect of a nutritional intervention using a combination of perspective theories and expected utility on the use of orange-fleshed sweet potato among women of childbearing age of the commune of Zè in Benin

Vitamin A deficiency is a major cause of morbidity among women of childbearing age and children. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a nutritional intervention using the combination of perspective theories and considering the expected utility in the adoption of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) among women of childbearing age in the commune of Zè. A total of 103 women randomly selected from four villages participated in the intervention. The implementation of this intervention firstly consisted o presenting the benefits of OFSP through a sketch and providing a culinary demonstration of the Afokaki recipe improved with OFSP. The sensory analysis of Afokaki reveals that the taste, color, texture and smell were very liked by 74.76%, 56.07%, 62.61% and 55.14% of women, respectively. Then, the intervention group received messages oriented towards gain and satisfaction, as did the control one; messages oriented towards loss and risk were developed in order to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding food rich in vitamin A and perceptions on the use of OFSP before and after nutritional education. After the intervention, the knowledge score of the regarding foods rich in vitamin A increased from 49% to 98.75% in the control group and from 49% to 99.58% in the intervention group. Regarding the perception of the use of OFSP, the score increased from 89% to 100% in the intervention group and from 89% to 92.59% in the control group. These results prove that regardless of the orientation of the message, knowledge and perception of the use of OFSP were improved. Future interventions should assess the impact of OFSP on women's vitamin A status.