Exploring the determinants of dietary nutrients intake among the rural households: a cross-sectional study in Jhargram district of West Bengal, India

In India, nutritional public health problems such as macronutrient malnutrition and diet-related non-communicable diseases are still persistent. Dietary assessment among the population is essential to understand the adequate consumption of nutrients in maintaining a balanced diet and most importantly to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goal-2, 'End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition', by 2030. Hence, an attempt was made in this paper to examine the nutrient consumption and compare it with the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs)-given by Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR)-2020 and also to assess the determinants of adequate intake of calorie and Protein among the rural households in Jhargram district of West Bengal, India. The study used primary data from a sample of 200 households collected during April-May, 2017. The daily intake of calorie and protein were calculated by following the RDAs by ICMR-2020 conversion table. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed. Results found that the consumption of adequate calorie and protein intake was 30% and 40% respectively. Logistic regression found that age, gender of the household head, social category, size of household, major source of income, access to market, access to credit, type of house, monthly per-capita consumer expenditure and farm size were significantly associated with the consumption of calorie and protein. The study concludes the need to address the importance of socio-economic disparities in nutrient intake and accessibility of credit facilities to rural households. There is also a need for targeted interventions among female-headed households to foster balanced nutrition and avert malnutrition.