RTG Student Work Group

Diversity and Probability of Nutrient Intake Adequacy Among Women in Bangledesh

Maria Joseph
Abstract • November 12, 2007

Obtaining nutrient intake information is important in assessing the adequacy of one's diet. The procedures taken to collect this data are expensive and hence, not available to less fortunate countries. We will investigate whether nutrient adequacy can be evaluated based strictly on the diversity on one's diet. Several food group indices are constructed to represent the number of food groups consumed. Using this food group index (FGI), measurement error models are used to predict the intake of various nutrients in women. The usefulness of the FGI as a predictor of the probability of adequacy of various nutrients in women is also studied. Furthermore, via sensitivity and specificity analysis, the effectiveness of the FGI as an indicator of mean probability of adequacy is explored. In the end, diet diversity serves as a reasonable indicator of the mean probability of adequacy.