Influence of Income Levels on Household Food and Dietary Diversity Scores

Description

Reema Mathur and Shruti Samarth (Department of Food Science and Nutrition, SNDT University, Juhu, Mumbai, Maharashtra)

The absence of diet diversity is a severe issue in lower-class people globally; specifically, females are at a high risk of insufficient intake of micronutrients from diets that mainly consist of cereals. This study includes the diets, dietary habits and diversity of diets in 120 females 18-30 years old (40 women from each class of income groups) in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. A 24 hr dietary recall was documented and diet diversity score was calculated by adding the number of different food groups taken out of the nine food groups. The highest number of women achieved a diet diversity score of 4. Lower-class women had limited diversity in the diet consumed because of high poverty levels, unemployment, and inadequate living conditions.