ABSTRACT

The study assessed the dietary diversity score and nutrient adequacy among adults in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. This cross - sectional study used simple random sampling techniques to select 429 adults from Afara and Amuzukwu communities in  Umuahia North Local Government Area. The aim of the study was to calculate nutrient adequacy of the participants, determine the dietary diversity scores and to examine the relationship between dietary diversity score and nutrient adequacy ratio. Questionnaire was used to collect information on sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents. Food frequency questionnaire and 24- hours dietary recall were used to collect information on the nutrient intake and usual dietary pattern of the respondents which was converted into nutrient intake using Nutri-survey software. The anthropometric measurements of the respondents (weight, height, waist circumference and hip circumference) were taken using standard equipments and procedures and waist/hip ratio was calculated. Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was created using 12-food group model. Nutrient intake was evaluated using Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR). Mean adequacy ratio (MAR) was calculated as an indicator of nutrient intake. Statistical Package for Service solutions (SPSS) ( version 20) software was used for analysis of the data collected. More than half (56.4%) of the respondents had normal body weight, 15.2% were underweight while 21.2% were overweight and 7.2% were obese. Frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation and correlation was used to analyze the data and level of significance was accepted at p<0.05. . Fruits, eggs and foods from milk and milk products were the least consumed. The mean DDS was 7.31±1.31. Majority (92.5%) of the respondents had high DDS, 7.5% had minimum DDS and 0.0% had low DDS. The MAR was 71.51±10.70; the intake of some nutrients such as carbohydrate(93.9%) vitamin C(70.2%), energy(50.2%), iron(93.1%), zinc(92%), magnesium(49.8%) and protein(76.9%) was above the recommended dietary intake but there was inadequate intake for some nutrients such as fat(51.9%), calcium(67.6%), sodium(79.0%) and potassium(19.5%) among the respondents. Consumption of foods from energy rich groups were found to be significantly related with nutrient intake adequacy as respondents with adequate intake of nutrients consumed more from energy dense food groups. DDS was significantly related With MAR for all nutrients. These results indicate that dietary diversity is  an indicator of nutrient adequacy.