Nutritional status and dietary diversity of pregnant and nonpregnant reproductive‐age Rohingya women

Abstract

There are no data on the nutritional status and dietary diversity of the pregnant and nonpregnant reproductive‐age Rohingya women who have recently shifted to the Bhasan Char Relocation Camp located on an island in the Bay of Bengal. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted in November–December, 2021 to assess the nutritional status and evaluate the dietary diversity of two vulnerable groups of the forcibly displaced Rohingya population: nonpregnant reproductive‐age women and pregnant mothers. Multivariable logistic regression was applied to identify the factors associated with nutritional impairments. Overall, 7.6% of the nonpregnant reproductive‐age women were underweight (Body Mass Index [BMI] < 18.5 kg/m2), and nearly one‐third of them had a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. However, 26.7% of the pregnant mothers were undernourished (BMI < 20.0 kg/m2) and almost one‐fourth of them were either overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2). The prevalence of thinness (Mid Upper Arm Circumference [MUAC] < 23 cm) was 34.5% among pregnant mothers, and 10.1% of them were severely thin (MUAC < 21 cm). The mean (±SD) of the Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS) was 3.3 (±1.1) for nonpregnant reproductive‐age women and 3.7 (±1.3) for pregnant mothers enrolled in this study. Overall, 63.8% of the nonpregnant women of childbearing age and 46% of the pregnant mothers had a low WDDS (WDDS < 4). The WDDS was found to be protective against thinness among nonpregnant reproductive‐age women (AOR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.37, 0.93; p‐value = .03) and low BMI in pregnant mothers (AOR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.55, 0.91; p‐value = .01). The results of this survey will assist in early recognition of the nutritional demands, and act as a guide to planning nutrition‐based programs among Rohingya reproductive‐age women relocated to the Bhasan Char Island.

Dietary acrylamide exposure and health risk assessment of pregnant women: A case study from Türkiye

“…Pregnant women are vulnerable to heat treatment contaminants because of physical and chemical changes in their metabolism and bodies (Boyaci‐Gunduz, 2022 ; Fahim et al., 2023 ). Von Stedingk et al.…”

“…Pregnant women are vulnerable to heat treatment contaminants because of physical and chemical changes in their metabolism and bodies (Boyaci-Gunduz, 2022;Fahim et al, 2023). Von Stedingk et al (2011) stated that there was a strong correlation between acrylamide hemoglobin adducts measured in cord blood and those measured in maternal blood, and that acrylamide taken into the body during pregnancy could easily pass from the placenta to the fetus.…”

Factors associated with child and maternal dietary diversity in the urban areas of Bangladesh

“…Though DD is one of the four dimensions of a healthy diet (Alkerwi, 2014 ; Kennedy et al., 2020 ), in the Bangladesh context, it would be the most important indicator of nutrient sufficiency, a precondition of an available healthy diet, where the staple food rice constitutes 70% of the daily meals' consumption (Jamadder, 2018 ). While a diverse diet is necessary throughout the life cycle, it is especially critical for children, adolescents, and women of reproductive age, particularly pregnant and lactating mothers (Bitew et al., 2021 ; Fahim et al., 2023 ; FAO, 2016 ; Seid et al., 2023 ). In Bangladesh, women generally do not improve their diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding.…”