Department of Food and Nutrition, Rajendra Agricultural University, Pusa-848125, India.
The calcium and iron intake of moderate workers (adult men) in different regions of Bihar were assessed. The mean intake of calcium and iron in Bihar is 281.77 mg and 14.92 mg per day respectively, which is lower than Recommended Dietary Allowances. The intake of calcium was the lowest in Hajipur (252.95 mg/day) and highest in Begusarai (301.30 mg/day), whereas the intake of iron was the lowest in Muzaffarpur (13.73 mg/day) and highest in Samastipur (16.16 mg/day). Significant differences were observed in the intake of calcium and iron among different regions. The intake of calcium in Hajipur is significantly lower than that of Madhubani (t value = 7.45), Begusarai (t value = 7.44) and Samasttpur (t value = 6.29) at 0.1 per cent level whereas the intake ofiron in Hajipur is significantly lower than that of Begusarai (t value = 2.80) and Samastipur (t value = 3.24) at 1.0 per cent level.
