1Lecturer, Department of Food Technology and Nutrition Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh
2Professor, Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
*Corresponding Author: Towhid Hasan Lecturer, Department of Food Technology and Nutrition Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3814, Bangladesh Email: towhidhasan07@gmail.com
Online published on 11 July, 2019.
Globally, micronutrient malnutrition has become a public health concern affecting millions of lives. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the dietary diversity and nutritional status of female residential students of Dhaka University.
This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 180 female residential students, between 18–26 years of age, of three female dormitories of Dhaka University.
The median age and bMI of the respondents were 21 years and 20.31 kg/m2, respectively. About 70% of the respondents exhibited normal nutritional status with 63% had adequate micronutrients in their diets having minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) ≥ 5. Significant positive associations were observed between energy and all nutrients intake, and MDD-W scores while only energy and some nutrients intake showed a positive correlation with nutritional status of the respondents.
The findings of the study represent the importance of diversified foods, especially among residential students who stay away from the home. The present study also confirms that high dietary diversity enhance nutrients intake thus helps to improve the diet with micronutrients adequacy. Therefore, it is needed to educate the female residential students to improve their diet quality through diversification for better nutrition and health outcome.
Dietary diversity, nutritional status, minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W), residential students, Bangladesh
