Modelling Low Cost Diets for Women (15-49 Years): A Case Study of Kayunga and Jinja Districts, Uganda.

Abstract

Diets of women of reproductive age (WRA) in low-income countries are unbalanced; mainly starchy based and low in proteins and micronutrients, leading to undernutrition amongst them and their children. The foods they commonly consume are inadequate in micronutrients such as vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B-12, iron, calcium and zinc. Their diets are usually of low dietary diversity often low in fruits and vegetables which are rich sources of micronutrients. Promotion of diverse diets is one of several approaches to improving micronutrient intake, since dietary diversity is strongly associated with nutrient adequacy. This study, assessed the dietary diversity of WRA, using the minimum dietary diversity for women of reproductive age (MDD-W) tool and 24-hour recall on 490 women. Data were collected from twenty villages in Kayunga and Jinja which are high producers of fruits and vegetables. Since poverty was reported to be one of the determinants of malnutrition, developing a low cost diet, using locally available foods could ameliorate the high micronutrients deficiencies among women in Uganda. Food market surveys and focus group discussions in 20 villages were used to collect data from selected shops and markets. The data were subsequently entered in the cost of diet linear programming tool to model the lowest-cost food habits nutritious diet for WRA in Kayunga and Jinja districts. Diets of women were found to be of poor quality despite the availability of nutrient dense foods in the communities. A number of food groups, which are major sources of micronutrients of concern to WRA were consumed by less than half of the women. The modelled diet revealed that a low cost diet with adequate nutrients meeting daily micronutrients requirements for WRA can be obtained using foods locally available in these districts. The Food Habits Nutritious diet was acceptable to the WRA while processed fruits and vegetables had no effect on the nutrient content or cost of the modelled diet. To improve diet quality, nutrition education should be given to the women and fruit and vegetable consumption promoted.