Dietary Intake across Reproductive Life Stages of Women in India: A Cross-Sectional Survey from 4 Districts of India

Abstract

Nutritional deficiencies among women of reproductive age, especially from socially backward classes, are widely prevalent in India. The present study aimed to assess the nutrient intakes and analyse their associations with sociodemographic attributes among socially backward adolescent girls, newly married women, pregnant women, and lactating mothers from four districts of India. Further, the study looked at the associations between nutrient intakes and anthropometric measurements (body mass index, BMI; waist circumference; and waist-hip ratio, WHR) among adolescents and newly married women. This community-based cross-sectional study used the 24-hour recall method of the dietary survey to assess the food intake of women and girls. Nonparametric tests of associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the median nutrient intakes were conducted. Expected and observed increments in energy and nutrient intakes of pregnant and lactating women from the base (requirement of an adult woman) were calculated. A total of 477 pregnant women, 455 lactating mothers, 532 newly married women, and 223 adolescent girls were interviewed. According to the 24-h dietary recall, only 35% of adolescent girls, 57% newly married women, 40% pregnant women, and 34% lactating mothers were able to meet 70% of the recommended energy requirements. A large percentage of pregnant women had less than 50% of the recommended intakes of iron, calcium, and folic acid. Women living in nuclear families, urban slums, and those from backward classes had lower intakes of almost all the nutrients compared to their counterparts (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in the nutrient intakes of adolescents, newly married, pregnant, and lactating women, and all had poor dietary intakes. We found positive relationships of all three anthropometric measurements (BMI, waist circumference, and WHR) with fats and inverse associations with carbohydrates. Public health interventions should work towards improving the nutrition of these vulnerable populations.

Food Security of the Pregnant Population Cared for in Bosques De María in Barranquilla, Colombia in 2020

“…These ndings are in line with the literature, which reports an inadequate intake of folic acid [26]. In addition to folic acid, studies also link calcium and iron with low intake adherence among pregnant women (<50%) [27]. Similarly, other studies also report moderate intakes of the three recommended micronutrients in pregnancy [28].…”

Plant seeds as source of nutrients and phytochemicals for the Indian population

“…On one hand, the recommended pulse consumption in India is 80 g per day (National Institute of Nutrition, 2011), being such date used as a reference to estimate the daily contribution for three different population groups: urban population, pregnant women and geriatric population. Considering that the daily intake of calories of urban population is 2216 Kcal (Sendhil et al ., 2020), 1392 Kcal for pregnant women (Sharma et al ., 2020) and 1418 Kcal for geriatric population (Gupta et al ., 2017), the contribution of one serving of seeds could reach a 15, 24 and 24% respectively (Table 1); the main contributor could be Arachis hypogaea seeds (peanuts), due to their high fat content (44.2 g/100 g). In the case of proteins, the consumption of 80 g per day represents 30, 46 and 38% of the daily intake for these groups of the population.…”

“…Considering that the daily intake of calories of urban population is 2216 Kcal (Sendhil et al, 2020), 1392 Kcal for pregnant women (Sharma et al, 2020) and 1418 Kcal for geriatric population (Gupta et al, 2017), the contribution of one serving of seeds could reach a 15, 24 and 24% respectively (Table 1); the main contributor could be Arachis hypogaea seeds (peanuts), due to their high fat content (44.2 g/100 g).…”

Association between Maternal Dietary Diversity and Low Birth Weight in Central India: A Case-Control Study

“…Notably, dairy products' consumption increases during pregnancy and postpregnancy among women. This differential intake of food groups is linked to religious or social norms and beliefs prevalent in the society and geographical variations that determine their availability [ 34 , 35 ].…”