Abstract
Dietary diversity, an important component of diet quality, is associated with an increased probability of adequate micronutrient intake. Women of childbearing age (WCA) are particularly vulnerable to micronutrient inadequacy. The Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) has been used widely as a proxy measurement of micronutrient adequacy. This study aimed to assess the association between MDD-W and nutrients adequacy among WCA of eight Latin American countries. Nutrient intakes from 3704 WCA were analyzed with two 24-hour dietary recalls. Dietary diversity was calculated based on ten food groups with a cut-off point of intake ≥5 groups. The mean dietary diversity score was 4.72 points, and 57.7% of WCA achieved MDD-W. Vitamin D and E showed a mean Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR) of 0.03 and 0.38, respectively. WCA with a diverse diet (MDD-W > 5) reported a significantly higher intake of most micronutrients and healthy food groups with less consumption of red and processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages. MDD-W was significantly associated with the mean adequacy ratio (MAR) of 18 micronutrients evaluated. Nevertheless, even those women with a diverse diet fell short of meeting the Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) for vitamins D and E. MDD-W is an appropriate tool to evaluate micronutrients adequacy in WCA from Latin America, showing that women who achieved the MDD-W reported higher adequacy ratios for most micronutrients and an overall healthier diet.
Highlights
Latin American and Caribbean populations have experienced important epidemiologic, health, and nutritional transitions, marked by a growing tendency towards overweight and obesity, while still dealing with micronutrient deficiency and undernutrition [1]
In the study of Bellows and colleagues (2019), only 10% of women of reproductive age in rural Tanzania consume at least five food groups [28], far below what was seen in our findings
Our results clearly indicate that Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR), mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) scores are quite consistent among each other showing theoretically sound associations with macro- and micronutrients representative of a diverse diet
Summary
Latin American and Caribbean populations have experienced important epidemiologic, health, and nutritional transitions, marked by a growing tendency towards overweight and obesity, while still dealing with micronutrient deficiency and undernutrition [1]. Are a nutritionally vulnerable population due to their higher physiological demands mainly related to their reproductive roles, such as an increased need for nutrients during menstruation, pregnancy, and lactation [2]. The consumption of a varied and balanced diet during this critical age window is essential, as a woman’s current and future wellbeing may be affected by nutrient inadequacy in terms of increased susceptibility to diseases and impaired growth, development, and productivity. Studies describing micronutrient intake in WCA of Latin American countries within representative samples of the population are scarce
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