RESUMO
The study aimed 1) to develop a locally adapted SDA (simplified dietary assessment) questionnaire taking into consideration available vitamin A rich foods and portion sizes in the study sites, and 2) to compare the SDA methodology vis-a-vis the long method of dietary vitamin A assessment. Field testing of the SDA questionnaire was carried out among 433 preschoolers belonging to households with or without home gardens in 3 selected municipalities. Vitamin A status of the children was assessed using the SDA and long method of dietary evaluation. Comparison of vitamin A status using SDA vis-a-vis the long method revealed that 85 and 86% of those found to have high risk for vitamin A inadequacy using the SDA actually had <67% vitamin A adequacy using the long method, during the lean and peak periods of home gardening, respectively (significant at a £ 0.01). The SDA also showed high sensitivity in identifying preschool children with high VAD risk with 88-90% positive predictive value, and a high specificity in not classifying as low (96%) or moderate (91%) VAD risk cases those children who did not meet 100% RDA or had vitamin A intake which was either >equals; 100% adequacy or <67% RDA for vitamin A. The SDA method provides a simple and rapid approach to assessment of risk for dietary inadequacy of vitamin A among population groups or individuals. The availability of the SDA empowers the Local Government Units (LGUs), Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and People's Organisations to assess VAD in their areas on a more timely basis and facilitates feedback to mothers of children at-risk through nutrition education and counselling.
RESUMO
Summarizing the general characteristics of food consumption pattern and dietary status of the country's central urban region, the following are brought to focus: Metro Manila as compared to all urban and rural areas consumes less cereal grains but more sugars and fats and oils; consumes more of the high quality protein foods such as meat, poultry, eggs, milk and dried beans; and consumes less of fruits and vegetables. Availability and affordability of foods in the respective sectors could have affected to a large extent the magnitude of consumption differences. Although urban households had the advantage of a more varied and quantitatively higher food consumption, their nutrient intake was not really very different from rural households. Metro Manila still had a 13.7 percent calorie gap in its intake in 1987, and intake of ascorbic acid was notably lower than the rural sector. However, intake of thiamin and riboflavin as well as fat was appreciably higher in the metropolis. Briefly identifying the trends in food consumption with reference to six survey year periods from 1974 to 1987 (excluding 1984 and 1985), Metro Manila diet disclosed the following: increasing trend for sugars and syrups as well as dried beans, nuts and seeds and decreasing trend for cereal products, fruits and vegetables and condiments and others. There was a decrease in overall food consumption among Metro Manila households during the economic crisis that transpired in 1984 and 1985. However, there was a steady consumption of rice which was under price control, and a significant increase in the intake of some food items particularly green leafy and yellow vegetables which were among the cheapest food items available in Metro Manila markets. Some food adjustments were evidently resorted to during the period of economic dislocation showing the resiliency of the urban population. Metro Manila has been apparently drawing inordinately large amounts of the food supply from the rest of the country. There is therefore an "urban bias" of food supply to Metro Manila, that is, there is a much higher demand capacity for Metro Manila to draw food supply because of its higher income level and bigger population. The impact of this situation in terms of nutrition and food supply in the rural areas should be carefully examined so as not to put the rural areas in extreme disadvantage. FNRI nutrition surveys have shown that dietary energy inadequacy remains rampant in Metro Manila, while protein continues to be a marginal problem.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
