The document presents a study that assessed the dietary adequacy of nutrients in mothers and pre-school children living in rural, urban, and estate communities in Sri Lanka. The study found that children generally had higher nutrient adequacy than mothers regardless of community. A table shows the Mean Adequacy Ratios and Nutrient Adequacy Ratios for mothers and children in the three communities. The results indicate that apart from some nutrients like energy, calcium, iodine, folate and vitamin C, the nutrient intakes in children were about 80% of recommended levels and about 70% in mothers. Intakes did not differ greatly between the three community types for most nutrients.

1. Table: NAR and MAR of women and children in different communities.
NAR
Rural Estate Urban
Mother
(n=318)
Child
2-3y
(n=131)
Child
4-6y
(n=185)
Mother
(n=73)
Child
2-3y
(n=59)
Child
4-6y
(n=39)
Mother
(n=216)
Child
2-3y
(n=80)
Child
4-6y
(n=171)
Energy 0.75 0.74 0.57 0.69 0.81 0.62 0.69 0.78 0.57
Protein 0.95 2.23 1.61 0.93 2.41 1.79 0.96 2.45 1.69
Calcium 0.33 0.67 0.58 0.31 0.75 0.56 0.39 0.76 0.54
Iron 0.60 1.05 0.84 0.54 1.32 0.93 0.62 1.20 0.83
Zinc 1.37 0.92 0.83 1.28 0.99 0.90 1.31 0.99 0.90
Iodine 0.38 0.74 0.74 0.37 0.85 0.66 0.40 0.87 0.77
Folate 0.38 0.76 0.55 0.39 0.76 0.68 0.46 0.79 0.67
Vitamin C 0.66 0.89 0.83 0.29 0.32 0.47 0.52 0.53 0.55
Retinol 0.80 0.96 0.96 0.71 0.91 0.84 1.03 1.10 1.18
MAR 0.68 0.84 0.82 0.58 0.89 0.82 0.71 0.91 0.82
Dietary adequacy of nutrients in women and pre-school children in rural, urban and
estate communities
D.D.I.G. HEWAWASAM1*, J. THAMILINI1, K.D.R.R. SILVA1*, J.M.U.K.
JAYASINGHE2, J.C. EDIRISINGHE2 and K. HERATH2
1
Department of Applied Nutrition, Faculty of Livestock, Fisheries and Nutrition, 2
Department of
Agribusiness Management, Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management, Wayamba University
of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila (NWP), Sri Lanka.
*Corresponding author (email: ishanrx25@gmail.com)
Women and children are more susceptible for malnutrition in many communities. Dietary
adequacy can be used as an indicator of malnutrition and thus helpful to assess and plan
interventions to prevent malnutrition. The objective of the present study was to assess the
dietary adequacy of some important nutrients in non-pregnant non-lactating mothers and their
children age between 2-7 y living in rural, urban and estate communities. Subjects were
selected using multi-stage cluster sampling from 5 divisional secretariat divisions (rural,
Mahailuppallama and Matale; estates in Agalawaththa; urban, Negombo and Gampaha)
during March to July 2015. A 24 hour recall was taken from subjects to assess the dietary
intakes. The Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) was calculated using Nutrient Adequacy Ratio
(NAR) and truncated that into 1.
The results showed higher nutrient adequacy in children than mothers (women)
regardless by the community. Following table shows MAR and NAR in three communities.
This study suggests that apart from energy, calcium, iodine, folate and vitamin C, the
NAR in rural, estate and urban communities are about 80% of the recommended level in
children and about 70% in mothers. The intakes in three communities were not highly
different for important nutrients.
Research was funded by National Science Foundation
Key words: Dietary intake, Mean Adequacy Ratio, Nutrient adequacy Ratio.