Researchers in Ghana studied 128 children to understand if nutrition plays a role in yaws, a skin disease affecting kids in tropical areas. They compared children with yaws to healthy children and looked at what they ate. While both groups had poor nutrition overall, children with yaws tended to eat slightly less nutritious food. The study found that many children weren’t getting enough fruits, iron, and zinc. Though nutrition didn’t directly affect how well medicine worked, the findings suggest that better nutrition could help communities fight yaws more effectively.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether children with yaws have different eating habits and nutrition levels compared to healthy children, and if poor nutrition affects how well the antibiotic medicine works
  • Who participated: 128 children (64 with yaws, 64 without) from Ghana, average age about 11-12 years old, living in areas where yaws is common
  • Key finding: Children with yaws ate slightly less nutritious food overall, especially fruits and certain vitamins and minerals, but the differences weren’t large enough to be statistically proven. However, children whose yaws didn’t heal had more severe nutritional gaps
  • What it means for you: If you live in areas with yaws, eating more fruits, vegetables, iron-rich foods, and foods with zinc may help your body fight the disease better, though this needs more research to confirm

The Research Details

Researchers conducted a case-control study, which is like comparing two similar groups to find differences. They recruited 64 children who tested positive for yaws and matched them with 64 healthy children of the same age and sex from the same communities in Ghana. From May to November 2024, they measured the children’s height and weight, asked detailed questions about everything they ate in the previous day (using a special interview method), and recorded basic information about their families.

This type of study is useful for understanding what might be connected to a disease, but it can’t prove that one thing causes another. The researchers chose this design because yaws is rare enough that following children forward in time would be difficult and expensive.

Understanding nutrition’s role in yaws is important because the disease keeps coming back in some areas even after treatment with antibiotics. If nutrition plays a part, then improving what people eat could be an additional tool to help eliminate the disease completely. This study looked at a gap in research—nobody had really studied whether nutrition matters for yaws before.

The study was well-designed with matched comparison groups, which strengthens the findings. The researchers used a detailed method to ask about food intake rather than relying on memory alone. However, the study was relatively small (128 children total) and only looked at two districts in Ghana, so results may not apply everywhere. The study was conducted recently (2024) and published in a respected journal (PLOS ONE), which suggests it went through careful review.

What the Results Show

The study found that both children with yaws and healthy children had serious nutrition problems. About 27% of children with yaws and 22% of healthy children showed signs of stunting (being shorter than expected for their age), which indicates long-term poor nutrition.

When researchers looked at what children ate, they found that almost everyone ate roots and tubers (like cassava and yams), but very few ate fruit—only 5% overall. Children without yaws ate slightly more fruits (8%) compared to children with yaws (3%). Healthy children also had slightly higher intakes of most vitamins and minerals, though the differences were small.

Interestingly, children with yaws actually ate similar amounts of energy (calories), fat, and vitamin C as healthy children. This suggests that the problem isn’t just eating less food, but eating the wrong kinds of food—not enough variety and not enough fruits and vegetables.

When researchers looked specifically at children whose yaws didn’t heal after treatment, they found more severe nutrition problems. These children were more likely to have inadequate intake of energy (88% vs 80%), fiber (100% vs 96%), iron (63% vs 54%), zinc (75% vs 71%), and vitamin B12 (63% vs 55%) compared to children whose yaws healed. However, these differences were not statistically significant, meaning they could have happened by chance. This suggests that while nutrition might matter for healing, the connection isn’t strong enough to prove from this study alone.

This is the first study to specifically look at nutrition and yaws together, so there’s limited previous research to compare to. However, the findings fit with what we know about other tropical diseases—poor nutrition generally makes it harder for the body to fight infections. The high rates of stunting (27-28%) match what’s been found in other studies of children in similar areas of Ghana, suggesting the nutrition problems are widespread in these communities.

The study only included children from two districts in Ghana, so the results may not apply to other countries or regions with yaws. The study was relatively small with only 128 children, which limits how confident we can be in the findings. The researchers only measured what children ate on one day, which might not represent their typical diet. The study couldn’t prove that poor nutrition causes yaws or prevents healing—it only showed that the two are connected. Additionally, the study didn’t measure other factors that might affect yaws, like access to clean water or sanitation.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research (with moderate confidence): Communities in yaws-endemic areas should focus on improving nutrition as part of disease control efforts. This means encouraging families to eat more fruits, vegetables, and foods rich in iron and zinc. However, this should be done alongside the existing antibiotic treatment, not instead of it. The antibiotic medicine (azithromycin) remains the primary treatment. More research is needed before making strong nutrition recommendations specifically for yaws.

This research matters most for: (1) Children and families living in areas where yaws is common, especially in West Africa; (2) Health workers and public health officials planning disease control programs; (3) Nutrition programs in tropical regions. This research is less relevant for people in developed countries where yaws is not present. Even in endemic areas, this doesn’t change the need for antibiotic treatment—it just suggests nutrition support could help.

Improving nutrition is a long-term process. You wouldn’t expect to see major changes in weeks. It typically takes months to years of consistent better eating to improve nutritional status and potentially help the body fight infections better. The antibiotic treatment for yaws works much faster—usually within days to weeks.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily fruit and vegetable intake (aim for at least 2-3 servings of fruits and 3-4 servings of vegetables daily) and monitor iron-rich foods consumed (beans, leafy greens, meat if available). Use a simple daily checklist: Did I eat fruit today? Did I eat vegetables today? Did I eat an iron-rich food?
  • Set a specific goal like ‘Add one fruit or vegetable to each meal’ or ‘Eat fruit as a snack at least 3 times this week.’ Start with foods that are available locally and affordable. If living in a yaws-endemic area, use the app to remind family members to eat more diverse foods while taking prescribed antibiotics.
  • Track weekly: number of days fruit was eaten, number of days vegetables were eaten, and number of iron-rich food servings. Measure height and weight monthly if possible to monitor for stunting. Note any changes in energy levels or healing of skin lesions. Share this data with health workers during clinic visits.

This research suggests a connection between nutrition and yaws but does not prove that nutrition causes or prevents the disease. If you or someone in your family has yaws or symptoms of yaws (skin sores that don’t heal), seek treatment from a healthcare provider immediately. The antibiotic azithromycin is the proven treatment and should not be delayed. Improving nutrition is a supportive measure that may help overall health but should never replace medical treatment. This information is for educational purposes and should not be used as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to diet or treatment plans, especially for children.