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TABLE 9. Intake of Nutrients (per person per day)-Income Group B

Age (years) Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Calcium (mg) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (µg) Thiamine (mg) Riboflavin (mg) Niacin (mg) Vitamin C (mg)
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F
Children (both sexes)
1-3 670 16 112 10 165 0.53 0.28 4.25 5.26
4-6 1,276 31 202 19 454 0.95 0.53 9.07 13.11
7-9 1,599 41 271 24 441 1.26 0.68 11.73 12.45
Adolescents
10-12 1,783 1,719 43 42 305 254 27 25 590 215 1.37 1.28 0.79 0.58 12.68 8.09 18.80 12.65
13-15 2,236 2,119 55 54 303 331 29 26 260 429 1.64 1.50 0.88 0.81 17.53 19.25 11.90 13.43
16-19 2,717 1,968 64 44 421 209 28 24 257 92 1.69 1.11 0.95 0.55 21.61 9.19 17.89 12.27
Adults
20-39 3,049 2,261 74 56 370 314 38 29 309 411 2.09 1.60 0.97 0.80 18.17 15.26 23.11 18.43
40-49 2,670 2,357 71 57 375 250 41 28 1,071 153 2.27 1.65 1.36 0.78 23.77 14.75 28.41 10.50
50-59 2,919 2,299 73 53 488 274 40 27 682 115 1.91 1.51 1.61 0.66 21.14 13.33 18.71 11.31
60-69 2,130 2,062 50 54 206 428 26 32 59 125 1.32 1.21 0.59 0.87 9.54 12.12 8.32 29.37
70+ 2,677 2,341 67 60 370 376 38 33 315 351 1.95 1.65 1.02 0.71 19.65 16.94 18.66 15.23
Average
(both sexes) 1,917 47 270 25 351 1.36 0.70 13 14
Pregnant 1,743 42 1,183 34 7,702 1.41 1.10 4.30 85.34
Lactating 2,323 57 300 32 611 1.67 0.83 15.11 17.84
Pregnant and lactating 1,840 44 179 16 9 1.26 0.57 18.62 0.46

TABLE 10. Intake of Nutrients (per person per day)-Income Group C

Age (years) Energy (kcal) Protein (9) Calcium (mg) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (µg) Thiamine (mg) Riboflavin (mg) Niacin (mg) Vitamin C (mg)
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F
Children (both sexes)
1-3 562 15 131 7 67 0.36 0.25 4.45 3.65
4-6 1,166 29 146 14 152 0.78 0.40 8.36 7.45
7-9 1,618 40 220 20 241 0.94 0.53 11.49 9.32
Adolescents
10-12 2,219 1,602 56 40 272 192 28 22 166 85 1.60 1.07 0.79 0.56 15.87 10.94 18.97 6.88
13-15 2,231 2,292 57 54 296 326 31 29 103 267 1.59 1.21 0.85 0.64 17.15 10.89 9.22 12.96
16-19 3,150 2,248 77 57 372 266 39 27 324 155 2.27 1.58 1.07 0.89 18.52 20.19 15.95 9.84
Adults
20-39 3,043 2,194 75 52 374 230 34 25 248 203 2.06 1.44 0.95 0.65 19.16 13.19 17.47 13.68
40-49 2,781 1,847 69 45 345 230 39 26 86 139 1.92 1.23 0.86 0.73 13.67 14.16 13.40 12.18
50-59 2,523 2,085 65 50 400 343 35 23 208 87 1.70 1.32 0.95 0.59 19.35 10.82 13.57 11.89
60-69 2,893 2,252 70 55 426 187 31 25 192 65 1.67 1.63 0.75 0.62 14.07 15.72 18.70 15.11
70+ 2,752 1,650 70 40 435 207 29 21 485 208 1.99 1.10 1.05 0.55 21.96 9.19 28.54 15.60
Average
(both sexes) 1,873 46 241 23 159 1.25 0.62 12.21 11.30
Pregnant 1,677 42 406 20 237 0.98 0.42 1.63 11.99
Lactating 2,242 53 227 26 195 1.53 0.67 12.48 13.23
Pregnant and lactating 2,174 55 245 23 307 1.38 0.85 20.92 17.22

TABLE 11. Intake of Nutrients (per person per day)-Income Group D

Age (years) Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Calcium (mg) Iron (mg) Vitamin A (µg) Thiamine (mg) Riboflavin (mg) Niacin (mg) Vitamin C (mg)
M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F M F
ChiIdren (both sexes)
1-3 740 18 161 8 102 0.47 0.32 4.14 5.32
4-6 1,316 33 207 14 111 0.91 0.48 9.91 8.73
7-9 1,548 39 214 16 136 1.13 0.57 11.57 10.81
Adolescents
10-12 1,941 1,991 51 49 332 256 19 21 68 59 1.21 1.32 0.67 0.61 14.62 13.14 9.99 9.91
13-15 2,644 1,842 65 47 282 335 28 22 85 419 1.86 1.19 0.80 0.64 17.17 11.82 12.78 15.83
16-19 2,994 2,418 73 62 346 320 33 24 108 172 2.21 1.62 0.93 0.90 18.47 20.87 15.12 10.72
Adults
20-39 3,358 2,466 85 61 413 361 35 27 121 205 2.27 1.59 1.06 0.78 23.01 16.60 14.76 14.94
40-49 3,715 2,119 92 58 616 326 45 20 358 259 2.45 1.61 1.17 0.81 21.69 18.92 28.99 10.85
50-59 3,209 2,210 87 56 450 326 31 24 238 231 2.38 1.42 1.25 0.74 29.19 16.79 15.93 13.17
6049 2,982 2,272 74 56 500 524 35 25 325 441 1.76 1.34 0.98 0.87 19.30 14.88 16.10 22.15
70+ 2,843 1,789 75 48 373 475 2 15 195 41 2.25 0.99 1.21 0.57 30.66 15.90 12.22 5.73
Average
(both sexes) 2,207 56 315 24 156 1.49 0.74 15.62 12.32
Pregnant 2,447 61 332 25 15 1.54 0.81 18.42 11.55
Lactating 2,403 60 321 27 128 1.66 0.79 16.46 12.50
Pregnant and lactating 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Intra-family Nutrient Intake by Income Group

Tables 8-11 show the intra-family nutrient intake according to income groups. It is apparent that the average intake of all nutrients by income groups A, B. C, and D did not show any consistent trend. The intake of group A was lower than that of group B. but the intake of group C was the lowest of all income groups. Group C intake was also lower than the average intake for all income groups. Except for riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin C, intake of all other nutrients for group D was the highest and well exceeded the overall average. The intake of riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin C was highest in group B.

A comparison of the average intake of different nutrients by income groups with their respective requirements revealed that income groups A, B. and C had a greater deficiency in caloric intake, but were less deficient in riboflavin and vitamins A and C than group D. Group D, on the other hand, had virtually no calorie deficiency but were much more deficient in riboflavin and vitamins A and C than the lower income groups. An analysis of the source of these nutrients suggests that, along with cereal, vegetables dominated the diets of groups A, B. and C. Group D ate more roots and fish and fewer leafy green vegetables. Group D thus was short in the micronutrients vitamin A and riboflavin that are present in leafy vegetables.

A further analysis of the findings showed that children and mothers belonging to different income groups did not meet requirements for any nutrient. The situation was worse among children and mothers in group C than in the other income groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In the matter of food allocation within the family, children and mothers (pregnant and lactating) are discriminated against. The community and family did not recognize the special needs of these groups. Studies in India on intrafamilial distribution of food revealed a similar trend (5). Nutrition education may be effective in enhancing intakes of these disadvantaged groups. Considering the various income groups, food allocation was found to be worst in the middle-class group C.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful to the Ford Foundation for its financial assistance. They also acknowledge the cooperation of all the members of this Institute.

REFERENCES

1. Nutritive Value of Local Foodstuffs (Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1980).

2. L. C. Chen, E. Huq, and S. D'Souza, "Sex Bias in the Family Allocation of Food and Health Care in Rural Bangladesh," Pop. Devel. Rev., 7: 55(1981).

3. Food and Agriculture Organization, "The Unequal Better Half" (United Nations Information Centre, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1983).

4. FAD/WHO Ad Hoc Expert Committee, Energy and Protein Requirements, World Health Organization Technical Report Series, No. 522 (WHO, Geneva, 1973).

5. T. Gopaldas, K. Saxena, and A. Gupta, "Intrafamiliar Distribution of Nutrients in a Deep Forest-Dwelling Tribe of Gujarat, India," Ecol. Food Nutr., 13: 69 (1983).

 

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