Food Consumption, Purchasing and Dietary Pattern of Farm Women in Dharwad District, Karnataka State, India

Abstract

Present study was undertaken to analyze the socio-economic and nutritional status of women involved in farm activities and to know the impact of nutri-farms on food, nutrition and health security. Using 300 farm women in Chamarajanagar district. Health and nutritional status assessment, food intake, nutritional adequacy and screening for iron deficiency anaemia and KAP study on health and nutrition was conducted. Malnutrition is still one of the crucial problems in developing countries which is relationship between nutrition and health among a majority of the population. The objective of the study was dietary pattern of before and after intervention. This paper tries to analyze the food consumption and dietary pattern of women involved in farm activities and to know the impact of nutri-farms on food and nutrition security by using of 500 farm women in Dharwad district. A well-structured questionnaire was framed to gather the information on dietary pattern of the subjects was assessed by 24– hour diet recall method before and after intervention. The results revealed that, Among cereals, rice was consumed daily (90.4%) by all the families, where as food intake was observed that Pulses (67.67), milk and milk products (167.60), roots and tubers (67.80), GLV’s (47.17), other vegetables (96.47), fruits (37.33), fats and oil (17.70)  consumption is very low when compared to RDA whereas consumption of cereal was on par with the recommended dietary allowances. The mean nutrient intake of energy (1794.5 kcal), protein (36.95 g), fat (17.95 g), iron (18.98 mg) and Vitamin C(42.85 mg) were less when compared to the RDA. The results shows that all nutrients and food intake consumption was found inadequate.