A Study of the Diet and Nutritional Status of Women in a Low-Income Population Group

Abstract

The study of three hundred eight separate diets collected from twenty-four women of the low-income group for weekly periods at three different seasons revealed severe deficiencies in calories, protein, minerals, and vitamins. When the average daily intakes were compared with the daily allowances for the sedentary woman recommended by the Committee on Food and Nutrition of the National Research Council, it was found that the calorie intake was from one-half to three-fourths the allowance, the average intakes of thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin, slightly more than one-third, and protein, calcium, and phosphorus approximately one-half the amounts recommended as adequate. The pantothenic acid intake was about one-fourth the amount suggested by R. J. Williams ('42) as representing adequacy for this vitamin. Seasonal variation and differences between the intakes of Anglo-American, Latin-American, and Negro subjects were found to be slight. The findings of physical examination of fifteen of the twenty-four women corroborate the data obtained from the dietary assay for the B-complex of vitamins. The fact that no extreme cases of deficiency were observed and that all cases did not show the same degree of deficiency on similar intakes does not alter the conclusion that among people of the low-income group represented in this study chronic nutritional deficiency is prevalent. On the other hand the absence of grave manifestations of malnutrition on the low intakes found, and particularly the failure to observe underweight as a result of the low calorie intakes, suggests the possibility that the recommended allowances have been placed too high. Reference is made to other investigations showing similar results.