Micronutrient Adequacy in the Diet of Reproductive-Aged Adolescent Girls and Adult Women in Rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Micronutrient deficiencies remain a serious nutritional concern in Bangladesh, especially among rural women of reproductive age (WRA). This study assesses the diet quality of reproductive-aged adolescent girls and adult women (referred to together as WRA in this study), including socio-demographic factors associated with their diet quality. The diet quality of adolescent girls was compared with that of adult women to assess which group was most at risk. The diet quality was measured by calculating the nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR), using the preceding 24 h dietary recall method. The mean adequacy ratio (MAR) was calculated as an overall measure of diet quality using the NAR. Nearly three quarters of WRA (adolescents: 73.1–88.5%; adult women: 72.9–86.4%) had an inadequate intake of calcium, vitamin A, folic acid, and vitamin B12. The prevalence of inadequate dietary intakes of calcium, zinc, and energy was significantly higher in adolescent girls (p < 0.001) than in adult women. Overall diet quality was significantly better in adult women (0.51 ± 0.21, p < 0.001) than in adolescent girls (0.49 ± 0.22). Age, marital status, educational level, and monthly household income were important factors associated with the diet quality of WRA. Micronutrient inadequacy is widely prevalent in the diets of WRA in Bangladesh, and adolescent girls with poor socio-economic status and lower educational levels are at higher risk.

Dietary diversity score and the incidence of chronic kidney disease in an agricultural Moroccan adults population

“…Thus, lower socioeconomic status and lower education level were associated with lower dietary diversity score. Similar finding was highlighted by other studies [23,27,28,29]. However, gender, sex and anthropometric status of the participants were neither associated with their dietary diversity scores nor with the consumption of same food groups.…”

Assessment of nutrient adequacy and associated factors among lactating women of rural Bangladesh using observed intake: Findings from Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey 2018–2019

“…In addition, the Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR)-the ratio between the subject's actual intake and reference intake-was calculated for each nutrient (Equation 2) (Hatløy et al, 1998). Following a previous study (Akter et al, 2021) The MAR was reported on a scale from 0 to 1, with 0 indicating that the requirement for no nutrients was met and 1 indicating that the requirements for all nutrients were met.…”

How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect food environment, food purchase, and fish consumption among low-income urban households in Bangladesh—A path analysis

“…It was interesting that increased price only affected the quality of fish but not the quantity or variety. It is possible that since fish is the most commonly consumed animal sourced food and an integral part of the Bangladeshi diet ( 10 , 11 ), urban low-income residents compromised the quality of fish instead of reducing the intake in quantity or variety. However, further research is necessary to understand what the lower quality of fish consumption meant in terms of food safety concerns of the low-income consumers and how they coped with such concerns.…”

“…In Bangladesh, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a decline in consumption of fruits and vegetables, and animal source foods, such as fish and meat ( 3 – 8 ). In Bangladesh, fish is the most commonly consumed animal sourced food and an important source of macro-and micronutrients in the diet of the low-income populations ( 9 – 11 ). Consuming different fish species (variety) is important as their nutrient composition vary substantially; for example, farmed species contribute to lesser micronutrient intakes than non-farmed ones ( 12 – 14 ).…”