Characteristics of Distinct Dietary Patterns in Rural Bangladesh: Nutrient Adequacy and Vulnerability to Shocks

Abstract

Food security in Bangladesh has improved in recent years, but the country is now facing a double burden of malnutrition while also being highly vulnerable to climate change. Little is known about how this may affect food supply to different sectors of the population. To inform this, we used a national dietary survey of 800 rural households to define dietary patterns using latent class analysis. Nutrient adequacy of dietary patterns and their potential vulnerability to climate shocks (based on diversity of calorie sources) were assessed. We fitted mixed effects logistic regression models to identify factors associated with dietary patterns. Four dietary patterns were identified: rice and low diversity; wheat and high diversity; pulses and vegetables; meat and fish. The wheat and high diversity and meat and fish patterns tended to be consumed by households with higher levels of wealth and education, while the rice and low diversity pattern was consumed by households with lower levels of wealth and education. The pulses and vegetables pattern was consumed by households of intermediate socio-economic status. While energy intake was high, fat and protein intake were suboptimal for all patterns except for the wheat and high diversity pattern. All patterns had fruit and vegetable intake below the WHO recommendation. The wheat and high diversity pattern was least vulnerable to shocks, while the rice and low diversity pattern was the most vulnerable, relying mainly on single cereal staples. The diets showed “double vulnerability” where the nutrient inadequate patterns were also those most vulnerable to shocks.

Energy and nutrient intake by 11–13-year-old young adolescents attending private schools in Delhi, India

“…The median percent E contributed by protein in the current study sample (10%) is lower than the contribution of protein (approximately 15%) in the diets of adolescents aged 11-18-years in the UK (45) and 13-18-years in Europe (49) and, Middle East (40) but is similar to the reported intake of protein for similar aged adolescents attending schools in LMICs, for instance Cameroon (10%) (43) and Bangladesh (9%) (44) . The 2017 survey on urban populations in India has reported that the intake of protein is low when compared with the RDA (22) .…”

“…The median E intake 2761 (2348.4-3358.1) Kcal/day (11.6 (9.9-14.1) MJ/day) was higher than that previously reported for similar aged adolescents living in some high-income countries (HICs) in the WHO European (38) , American (3,39) , Eastern Mediterranean (40) , Western Pacific Regions (41) and LMICs like Libya (42) but is similar to intakes reported for adolescents in the African and South East Asian regions; e.g. 9.7 MJ /day in Cameroon (43) and approximately 12.3 MJ/day in Bangladesh (44) . The E intake in the current study was validated against the estimation of PAL using data provided by a sub-sample (n=241).…”

Geospatial variation in dietary patterns and their association with heart disease in Bangladeshi population: Evidence from a nationwide survey

“…However, recent studies suggested that the dietary pattern was region-specific [ 20 , 31 ], and heart disease rates varied widely across the division [ 32 , 33 ]. Many of the studies on heart disease were conducted in hospitals [ 34 – 36 ], had limited sample sizes [ 9 , 32 , 37 , 38 ], exhibited statistical issues, and lacked nationwide representation [ 8 ].…”

Diabetes Management and Culturally Sensitive Care: An Approach to Care for Bangladeshi Patients

“…The Bangladeshi diet is typically high in carbohydrates and fats and low in protein and fiber. 7 For example, many Bangladeshi Americans believe that certain foods, such as rice or lentils, are essential for good health and may be reluctant to modify their diets to manage diabetes. 5 This dietary pattern can lead to poor glycemic control and increase the risk of diabetes complications.…”

“…For example, traditional Bangladeshi dishes such as daal (lentil soup), sabzi (vegetable curry), and fish curry can be incorporated into a diabetes-friendly meal plan. 5 , 7 Healthcare providers can also educate Bangladeshi patients on portion control and the importance of balancing carbohydrates with protein and fiber to prevent blood sugar spikes.…”