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. 2021 Jan 23;13(2):337.
doi: 10.3390/nu13020337.

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

Rumana Akter  1 , Hiroaki Sugino  1 , Nasima Akhter  2 , Christopher L Brown  3 , Shakuntala H Thilsted  4 , Nobuyuki Yagi  1
Affiliations

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

Rumana Akter et al. Nutrients. .

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.

Keywords: diet quality; micronutrient; nutrient adequacy; reproductive-aged women.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, analysis or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

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