Nutritional status and dietary intake of urban residents in Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

BackgroundThere is paucity of data on the dietary intake and nutritional status of urban Ethiopians which necessitates comprehensive nutritional assessments. Therefore, the present study was aimed at evaluating the dietary intake and nutritional status of urban residents in Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsThis cross-sectional community based nutrition survey was conducted by involving 356 participants (71.3% female and 28.7% male with mean age of 37.3 years). Subjects were selected by random sampling. Socio demographic data was collected by questionnaire. Height, weight, hip circumference and waist circumference were measured following standard procedures. Dietary intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire and 24-h dietary recall. The recommended dietary allowance was taken as the cut-off point for the assessment of the adequacy of individual nutrient intake.ResultsUndernourished, overweight and obese subjects composed 12.9%, 21.3% and 5.9% of the participants, respectively. Men were taller, heavier and had higher waist to hip ratio compared to women (P < 0.05). Fish, fruits and vegetables were consumed less frequently or never at all by a large proportion of the subjects. Oil and butter were eaten daily by most of the participants. Mean energy intakes fell below the estimated energy requirements in women (1929 vs 2031 kcal/day, P = 0.05) while it was significantly higher in men participants (3001 vs 2510 kcal/day, P = 0.007). Protein intake was inadequate (<0.8 g/kg/day) in 11.2% of the participants whereas only 2.8% reported carbohydrate intake below the recommended dietary allowances (130 g/day). Inadequate intakes of calcium, retinol, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid were seen in 90.4%, 100%, 73%, 92.4%, 86.2% and 95.5% of the participants.ConclusionsThe overall risk of nutritional inadequacy among the study participants was high along with their poor dietary intake. Hence, more stress should be made on planning and implementing nutritional programmes in urban settings aimed at preventing or correcting micronutrient and some macronutrient deficiencies which may be useful in preventing nutrition related diseases in life.

Factors associated with underweight among lactating women in Womberma woreda, Northwest Ethiopia; a cross-sectional study

“…In Ethiopia, studies have shown a higher prevalence of malnutrition among lactating women [11]. A study conducted in Northwest Ethiopia showed nutritional inadequacy among urban residents [12]. The 2011 Ethiopian demographic and health survey (EDHS) report showed that 27% of women aged 15-49 years were undernourished.…”

Pathway from Nutrition Intake to Wage Among Elementary Workers in India

“…Hence there is causation between nutrition status and labour productivity or wage (Nuwaha et al, 2011;McNamara et al, 2012;Basta et al, 1979;Deolalikar, 1988). However, nutritional measure such as calorie, protein, and iron intake being the input of health production function do not have reverse causation with the health of individual (Strauss, 1986;Amare et al, 2012;Dalgaard and Strulik, 2011;Wang et al, 2014).…”

“…Dietary intake determines the nutrition status (Amare et al, 2012) and nutrition status has an effect on health outcome such as morbidity and mortality in a population (Shankar, 2000;Ulijaszek, 1996;Caulfield et al, 2004;Katona and Katona-Apte, 2008;Black et al, 2008); and individual health determine the labour efficiency, wage and productivity (Sachs, 2001;Alleyne and Cohen, 2002;Behrman, 1993;Deolalikar, 1988;Behrman et al, 1988). Hence there is causation between nutrition status and labour productivity or wage (Nuwaha et al, 2011;McNamara et al, 2012;Basta et al, 1979;Deolalikar, 1988).…”

“…Individual nutritional status is the function of dietary, calorie, micronutrient intake, and individual nutrition status portend the health outcomes such as anthropometries, self-reported health, morbidity, physical capacity and functioning (Singh-Manoux et al, 2007;Miilunpalo et al, 1997;Strauss, 1986;Amare et al, 2012). Thus, among other health inputs calorie intake determines the both present and future health outcome.…”

“…Thomas and Frankenberg (2002) have shown that the effect of nutrition status on economic productivity is confounded by early childhood nutrition and family socio-economic background, genetic factor and ethnicity. Thus, in order to take into account the potential endogeneity of calorie intake we have instrumented it by per capita household monthly expenditure and household head education (Strauss, 1986;Amare et al, 2012;Strauss, 1985;Weinberger, 2004). Then combination of instrumental variable and quantile regression is estimated as twostage quantile regression (Chernozhukov and Hansen, 2008;Calderon, 2007).…”