Food Habit and Nutritional Status of Rural Women in Bangladesh

Abstract

The study aims to understand the food habit and dietary nutritional status of rural women in Bangladesh. The research is based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data collected from a structured questionnaire survey through interview and observation when some secondary data also collected from different sources. 384 respondents have been interviewed form nine villages of Ishwardi, Pabna; a North-Western district of Bangladesh. According to primary survey, 90% of our respondents are literate and 43% households earn less than monthly 16 thousand local currencies equivalent to around 200 USD. Every four out of five women are housewife or work in home and rest of them work outside. Rice is the staple food where 38.06% respondents took rice three times per day and 54.72% women have rice twice. Around 64% respondents took fruits daily but around 80% respondents have chicken on weekly basis. Even, 17.9% people took chicken monthly basis. Less than 2% women drink milk daily and 50.3% women drink on weekly basis. 50.52% respondents have normal body mass index (BMI) condition. The women from Hindu religious background are vegetarian in general. So they don’t consume animal beef, meat or chicken. 63.3% women ate egg once in a week and 3.67% consume it daily. Though the overall dietary condition of women is improving in developing country like Bangladesh, but it is still not sufficient for many.