Dietary survey of preschool children and expectant women in Soongnern District, Nakorn Rajsima Province, Thailand

Abstract

A nutritional survey of the dietary intakes of preschool children and pregnant women was conducted in a rural Thai village. The dietary intakes of individuals were weighed and recorded during a 3-day observation period. From this data, the average diet for each age group was calculated, reconstituted, and the biochemical analyses performed. This methodologic approach to a field survey allowed a tremendous saving in the time and cost of analyses while providing a much more accurate indication of the actual intake of the preschool children. As is well known this information is simply lost when dietary surveys are based on family intakes. The results of the survey showed that the diets consumed were inadequate in calories and many nutrients and that this was reflected in the physical condition of the children.