Assessment of micronutrients adequacy in the diet of adolescents of Fatehabad district (Haryana)
Abstract
This study was conducted to assess the micronutrients adequacy in the diet of adolescents of
Fatehabad district. Total 200 school going adolescents (13-17y), 100 from rural (Govt. Senior
Secondary School, Dhanger, Fatehabad) and 100 from urban (Govt. Senior Secondary School
Fatehabad city) backgrounds were selected randomly. The nutritional status of adolescents was
assessed in terms of height for age (stunting), BMI for age (wasting) and waist to hip ratio (abdomen
obesity), dietary intake, food adequacy ratio, nutrient intake, nutrient adequacy ratio, dietary diversity
score, food variety score and probability of adequacy of micronutrients. Z-score for height-for-age
(HAZ-score) and BMI-for age (BAZ-score) were calculated using the National Centre for Health
Statistics (NCHS) reference data and WHO Anthro Plus software (version 2014). The means were
compared gender wise and area wise using independent sample t-test. Associations of area and gender
with prevalence of wasting, stunting, overweight and abdomen obesity were assessed using chi-square
test. Pearson correlation coefficients were conducted to explore the relationship between DDS, FVS
and probability of adequacy of micronutrients; and socioeconomic profile and nutritional status.
Majority of the adolescents were belonging to nuclear type and medium sized family having general
supplied water in their house. The annual family income of majority of the adolescents was in the range
between Rs. 1,50000-300000. The father and mother occupation of most of the adolescents was labor
and housewife, respectively. The father and mother of the majority of the adolescents were illiterate
followed by the educated up to primary and matriculation. Daily mean intake of energy, protein,
calcium, iron, β-carotene, vitamin C and zinc except fat was significantly lower than their respective
RDAs in the daily diets of both the male and female adolescents of both the age group. Mean value of
dietary diversity score among adolescents was 6.46 (theoretical range: 1 to 13). Mean food variety
score of adolescents was 16.45; eighty one different food items were reported to be eaten by the
adolescents during the survey period. In general, all the estimates of probability of adequacy for
micronutrients ranged low. Intakes of iron had the lowest (30%) while intakes of calcium had the
highest (70%) probability of adequacy followed by the vitamin A (61%), zinc (54%) and vitamin C
(51%). The mean probability of adequacy across 5 micronutrients was 53 percent. The rural
adolescents had the significantly (p<0.01) higher probability of adequacy of vitamin A whereas the
probability of adequacy of iron was significantly (p<0.01) higher in urban adolescents. The prevalence
of wasting, overweight, stunting, severely stunting and abdomen obesity among adolescents was 13,
8.5, 14.5, 3.5 and 25.5 per cent respectively. Pearson‟s correlations coefficients of dietary diversity
scores and food variety scores and adequacy of micronutrient were significant. The family income and
father occupation was positively associated with the major nutrients intake, BMI for age and Height for
age whereas the type of family and size of family were negatively associated with BMI for age and
Height for age. There is urgent need to provide nutrition education to children and their mothers that
will go a long way in improving the nutritional status of children who are supreme assets and future of
the nation.
Description
Keywords
Biological phenomena, Vitamins, Nutrient intake, Nutrients, Fruits, Fats, Iron, Proteins, Calcium, Zinc