Correlation between Individual Dietary Diversity Score and Nutrients Adequacy Ratio in the Rural Community

Abstract

Dietary diversity indicators can serve as a proxy for diet quality and have shown an association with Dietary diversity indicators can serve as a proxy for diet quality and have shown an association with nutrient adequacy at the individual level; it is positively correlated with indicators of micronutrients adequacy in several types of study. The main objective of this study is to examine the nutrient adequacy ratio and its relationship with the individual dietary diversity score in the rural community. The relationship between individual dietary diversity score and nutrients adequacy was assessed with and without the minimum quantity food groups intake restriction. Data was collected through the 24 hours dietary recall schedule and dietary diversity questionnaire by applying 24 hours recall method in randomly selected 491 individuals from the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Individual dietary diversity score was measured using the nine food groups system, suggested by Food and agriculture organization, US. An analysis of the relationship with sixteen nutrients was assessed through the Microsoft excel data analysis functions. It was found that iron and niacin intake had moderate-positive co-relation with individual dietary diversity scores, and a weak positive correlation with calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin-A, potassium, zinc, protein, vitamin-C, folates were found with no minimum quantity intake of the food groups. A negative correlation between sodium, phosphorus, and magnesium intake was noted; and there was no correlation noted with fat and energy. After fixing the minimum intake quantity of the food groups, the relationship between the dietary diversity score and the nutritional accuracy was strengthened. The association of micronutrients with the Individual Dietary Diversity Score was shown to be strong after applying minimum 15 grams intake quantity restriction of the food groups.