Minimum Dietary Diversity-Women Score, a Key Indicator of Micronutrient Adequacy and its Association with Iron Status among Pregnant Women: Evidence from a Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

A diversified diet is crucial for micronutrient adequacy in a pregnant woman. Iron deficiency Anemia (IDA) is linked to a lack of diversity in diets. The Minimum Dietary Diversity-Women (MDD-W) is a global indicator developed by the FAO to assess diet quality among women of reproductive age. The study seeks to determine the prevalence of MDD scores and its association with sociodemographic factors and iron status among pregnant women. Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women at the women’s hospital, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh using systematic sampling frame. An enumerator-administered semi-structured interview schedule was used. Hemoglobin levels were assessed and IDA categorized. The prevalence of anemia was 47.4%, of which only 18.1% of women consumed a diverse diet and 81.89% had low MDD-W scores. The mean hemoglobin was 10.82 g/dl, Standard deviation 1.58. Socioeconomic status showed significant correlation to anemia (P = 0.001), and an OR of 1.099 at 95% confidence interval. The high prevalence of IDA and low MDD-W scores proves the need for increased awareness on dietary diversity rates among pregnant women so that micronutrient adequacy can be achieved.