indian council of medical research - Pondicherry University DSpace ...

chlldren from socioeconomically backward families was inadequate In calories,
proteins, vitamins and iron (UNICEF, 1990. Aspatwar and Bapat,1995; Chaturvedi et
a1.,1996; Khan et a1,1996; Aspatwar and Bapat.l996).The nutritional inadequacy
observed in this study could be due to the low socioeconomic status of the people.
In the current study, the calorie and protein intake were about 70.0%- 80.0% of the
RDA. This is dose to the observation made by Aspatwar and Bapat (1995), who found
~t to be 60.0%-700% of RDA In them study. The mean calone consumpt~onlday In girls
In the current sl.udy was higher compared to that reported for girls from Rajasthan
(Chaturvedi el a1.,1996). This could be due to the difference in the overall
socioeconomic conditions between Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, or, due to a difference
In the status of the girl child in these 2 states. It was also observed that the difference
between the RDA and the actual intake for iron, vitamin A, riboflavin and n~acin was
h~gher than that for thiamine. This could be due to the fact that rice, an important
source of thiam~ne was the staple diet in the study area and was taken in fairly
adequate quantities, when compared to legumes, groundnuts and green leaiy
vegetables which are good sources of iron and the other vitamins. Dietary surveys have
shown that among predominant rice eaters the average niacin intake ranges between
Sllmg/day (Anonymous,l990) which is similar to that observed in this study.
The intake of all the nutrients showed a fluctuation over a period of one year (Fig 5.5 A-
5.5G). This wuld be due to non availability of food, or non availability of money to buy
food In different seasons. However, since rice, the staple diet and the few vegetables
the villagers consume are available throughout the year, it is more likely to be due to