On the Relation between Nutrition and Degree of Fatigue of Farming People in Busy Seasons

Abstract

The Present report dealt with the results of our study in the relation between nutrition and fatigue conditions of farming people during the rice-cropping and wheat seed-sowing season. The method of study was almost similar to that of our first report.The locality where we made the survey was the same as that of our first report. The subject individuals comprised 27 persons of 12 households chosen from among those which were under relatively similar conditions. These indivduals were divided into what we called guided group and ordinary group. Before undertaking the Study, we gave them health examinations including indirect X-ray photographing. Our survey on their diet conditions was performed for approximately four months from September 26th 1955 to January 20th 1956. During the period of the survey, guided group was given 1.5mg. of vitamin B1 per head per day, and at the same time was directed to replenish calcium intake by means of enriched Miso (bean-paste) and take the standard amount of oil and fat, received distribution of nutritions menucards and was actually taught how to prepare such dishes and, in addition, was given guidance in the cooking of dishes the group-members wished to learn.As to ordinary group, the calculation of the intake per head per day was based on the group-member's normal diet.Measurement of degree of fatigue was conducted eight times in the approximately four months including the rice-cropping and wheat seed-sowing season, each time covering three successive days, classified by group and sex and by fore urine and after urine.When the nutrition intake during the autumnal busy season (rice-cropping and wheat seed-sowing season) was compared with the standard intake, it was noted that both the two groups lacked, fairly or considerably, in calory and nutritious elements, and especially notable was the shortage of vitamin A and calcium. On the contrary, iron contents were taken in by both groups, and carbohydrate by guided group, more than the standard intake.Thus, whereas in the rice-planting season the farmers took nutritive diet relatively approximate to the standard intake and the composition of their diet was well-balanced, in the rice-cropping and wheat seed-sowing season both the guided and ordinary groups took diet notably deficient in nutrition.Even if diet is so deficient in calory and intake as in the above-cited cases, it is inconceivable, as longas the composition of diet is rational, that recovery from fatigue will be notably delayed and the degree of fatigue very high. In fact guided group showed sooner recovery from fatigue and slighter degree of fatigue than ordinary group. The highest de grees of fatiguewere indicated by both groups about a week before the rice-cropping period and during the wheat seed-sowing period, especially ordinary group showed a far higher degree of fatigue thanguided group.The high degrees of fatigue were observed in the rice-cropping and wheat seed-sowing season, as in the rice-planting season, more in women than in men. It was also noted that the degree of fatigue during the rice-cropping and wheat seed-sowing season which required continued labor for a long time was not so high as we expected, and it will be allowed to say that when nutrition intake is taken into consideration, the degree of fatigue in this long busy season is rather slighter than that in the rice-planting season the peroid of labor in which in shorter.