Very Low Adequacy of Micronutrient Intakes by Young Children and Women in Rural Bangladesh Is Primarily Explained by Low Food Intake and Limited Diversity
Abstract
Documentation of micronutrient intake inadequacies among developing country populations is important for planning interventions to control micronutrient deficiencies. The objective of this study was to quantify micronutrient intakes by young children and their primary female caregivers in rural Bangladesh. We measured 24-h dietary intakes on 2 nonconsecutive days in a representative sample of 480 children (ages 24–48 mo) and women in 2 subdistricts of northern Bangladesh by using 12-h weighed food records and subsequent 12-h recall in homes. We calculated the probability of adequacy (PA) of usual intakes of 11 micronutrients and an overall mean PA, and evaluated dietary diversity by counting the total number of 9 food groups consumed. The overall adequacy of micronutrient intakes was compared to dietary diversity scores using correlation and multivariate regression analyses. The overall mean prevalence of adequacy of micronutrient intakes for children was 43% and for women was 26%. For children, the prevalence of adequate intakes for each of the 11 micronutrients ranged from a mean of 0 for calcium to 95% for vitamin B-6 and was
Citation
Arsenault, J.E.; Yakes, E.A.; Islam, M.M.; Hossain, M.B.; Ahmed, T.; Hotz, C.; Lewis, B.; Rahman, A.S.; Jamil, K.M.; Brown, K.H. Very Low Adequacy of Micronutrient Intakes by Young Children and Women in Rural Bangladesh Is Primarily Explained by Low Food Intake and Limited Diversity. Journal of Nutrition (2013) 143 (2) 197-203. [DOI: 10.3945/jn.112.169524]