Influence of Socio-Economic Determinants on Dietary Diversity and Nutritional Status among Young Adults in Noakhali, Bangladesh

Aims: Dietary diversity (DD) is an increase in the variety of foods within and between food categories over a certain period of time. This study investigates the relationship between Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) and socioeconomic variables among young individuals, aiming to discover prospective strategies and interventions for improving dietary diversity and general health status.

Study Design, Place and Duration: A cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling method was carried out from January to February, 2023 at Noakhali, Bangladesh.

Methodology: A pretested, standard and structured questionnaire was used for data collection regarding sociodemographic characteristics, nutritional status, Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS) and Food Consumption Score (FCS). Both IDDS and FCS were calculated using 9 food groups according to WFP and each was divided into three categories. Multivariate logistic regression and correlation analyses were carried out using IBM SPSS version 26.0.

Result: Most of the participants were observed to have either medium (46.1%) or high (44.1%) IDDS. Participants with higher income and higher BMI scores had more diverse diets, as we found a strong and significant positive relationship between IDDS and income level (R = 0.662); and IDDS and BMI category (R = 0.290), where both have significant effects on each other (P=.000). Borderline FCS relative to high FCS was more significantly and independently associated with low dietary diversity relative to high dietary diversity considering other factors when adjusted (adjusted RRR (aRRR) 0.64 (95% CI 0.012 to 0.335), P=.001). Males were found to be significantly at higher risk of being overweight compared to female counterparts (aRRR 2.422, P=0.03). On the other hand, individuals with no formal education have a lower risk of being overweight (aRRR 0.241, P=0.01) compared to those who completed secondary level or above.

Conclusion: Dietary diversity score reveals the nutritional intake and potential nutrient deficiencies of an individual. Since income and education are not the sole determinants of nutritional status, other determinants like hygiene, healthcare facilities, physical activity level and employment opportunities should also be considered to improve IDDS.