Temporal Trends in Apparent Food Consumption in Bangladesh: A Joinpoint Regression Analysis of FAO’s Food Balance Sheet Data from 1961 to 2013

Abstract

We analyzed the temporal trends and significant changes in apparent food consumption or availabilityin Bangladesh from 1961 to 2013. Due to the lack of a long-term national dietary intake dataset, this study used data derived from the FAO’s food balance sheets. We used joinpoint regression analysis to identify significant changes in the temporal trends. The annual percent change (APC) was computed for each segment of the trends. Apparent intake of starchy roots, eggs, fish, vegetables, milk, and vegetable oils significantly has increased (p < 0.05) in the Bangladeshi diet since 1961; whereas cereals changed by merely 4.65%. Bangladesh has been experiencing three structural changes in their dietary history after the Liberation War, though the intake level has been grossly inadequate. Initially, since the late-1970s, apparent vegetable oils intake increased at a market rate (APC = 7.53). Subsequently, since the early-1990s, the real force behind the structural change in the diet has been the increasing trends in the apparent intake of fish (APC = 5.05), eggs (APC = 4.65), and meat (APC = 1.54). Lastly, since the early 2000s, apparent intakes of fruits (APC = 20.44), vegetables (APC = 10.58), and milk (APC = 3.55) increased significantly (p <0.05). This study result reveals and quantifies the significant secular changes in the dietary history of Bangladesh from 1961 to 2013. Bangladesh has experienced inadequate but significant structural changes in the diet in the late-1970s, early-1990s, and early-2000s. Overabundance of cereals and inadequate structural changes in the diet may have caused the increasing prevalence of overweightness and emergence of diet-related, non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.

Temporal Trends in Apparent Energy and Macronutrient Intakes in the Diet in Bangladesh: A Joinpoint Regression Analysis of the FAO’s Food Balance Sheet Data from 1961 to 2017

“…Hence, each joinpoint acts as point of changes in energy and macronutrient intakes and is the basis of the transformation observed. We conceptualized that changes in food availability, technological advancement and policy-driven growth in agriculture, and population growth might have acted as drivers [ 7 ] for these joinpoints, the node of changes in apparent energy and macronutrient intakes in the diet.…”

“…Bangladesh has made a remarkable improvement in food grain production and food availability at the national level [ 7 ], although food and nutrition security at household as well as national levels remains a big challenge for the government. At national level, cereals remained the bulkiest available food in the diet and have not changed markedly since 1961.…”

“…At national level, cereals remained the bulkiest available food in the diet and have not changed markedly since 1961. Since the late 1970s, vegetable oil availability; since the late 1980s, animal-sourced foods (eggs, meat, and fish) availability; and the since the early 2000s, milk, vegetable, and fruit availability in the diet started to increase, however, the per capita amounts were grossly inadequate [ 7 ]. Moreover, the typical diet in Bangladesh at the individual, as well as at household level, is not balanced and remains dominated by cereals, mostly rice [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

“…Tracing and monitoring diet at individual as well as community levels is required to evaluate the effect of dietary changes over time [ 7 ]. In addition, obtaining information on apparent and actual intakes is fundamental for foreseeing future dietary changes.…”

“…In addition, obtaining information on apparent and actual intakes is fundamental for foreseeing future dietary changes. In our prior study, we revealed the temporal trends in apparent food intakes in Bangladesh from 1961 to 2013 [ 7 ]. Other than this, only a few investigations have reported the changes in diet in Bangladesh at certain points in time because of the absence of a long-running dietary database in Bangladesh [ 8 , 9 ].…”