CHILD NUTRITIONAL STATUS, FOOD AND NUTRIENT INTAKE PATTERN OF LANDLESS AND MARGINAL FARM HOUSEHOLDS OF CHEHELGAZI UNION IN DINAJPUR DISTRICT

Abstract

Balanced food intake is needed by individual human being for maintaining good health and nutritional status for active and prosperous life. Household food & nutrient intake pattern and child nutritional status for the landless and marginal farm households for rural are not well known. This study is therefore undertaken to know the socio-demographic and economic condition, food and nutrient intake pattern and child nutritional status of the landless and marginal farm families of rural areas. In this regard this study was carried out on 75 landless and marginal households having under five years children in family of Chehelgazi union in Dinajpur district. Survey method was employed for data collection. Information on dietary intake for past 24 hours recall and direct weighing method, anthropometric measurements and socio-economic indices were recorded. This study found that about 9% are working mother and 91% are housewife, 80% HHs have one earning member and 20% HHs have 2 & above earning members in family. The average monthly income and average monthly expenditure on food of the studied households are 6452Tk and 5046Tk respectively. About 65% HHs are poor families; this figure is much higher than the national percentage of poor families. The percentages of stunting, underweight and wasting children (6-59 months) are 29.4%, 28% and 4% respectively. Results revealed that boy children are more sufferers in stunting than girls children, while girl children are more sufferers in underweight than boy children. There is no significant difference found for stunting and underweight children according to landless and marginal farmer’s children. Mean total food intake is found 864.15 gm/day. Per capita per day total food intake is found 991.46gm, 872.14gm and 703.92gm respectively for the families of non-poor, absolute poor and hard core poor. The mean per capita per day energy intake by the landless and marginal families is found 2001.38 kcal. Per capita per day mean energy intake by landless households are lower (1989.9kcal) than for marginal households (2056.05kcal). Household heads education, mother’s education, monthly income of the household (Tk.) and monthly expenditure from food item has significant positive correlation with total food intake and nutrients intake. With the increases of parental education the protein and fat intake by the HHs increases but carbohydrate intake decreases. Positive relationship is found with economic status of the HHs with protein, fat, and calcium intake by the family members. The findings regarding low food and nutrient intake as well as poor nutritional status of children for the landless and marginal family obviously indicate their inability to lead a socially useful and economically productive life.