Food variety--a good indicator of nutritional adequacy of the diet? A case study from an urban area in Mali, West Africa.
OBJECTIVE
This study assesses whether a simple count of food items and food groups can predict the nutritional adequacy of the diet in an economically poor country.


METHODS
A three-day weighed record of children.


METHODS
Koutiala town, in Southeastern Mali.


METHODS
Seventy-seven children, 13-58 months of age. One child was excluded owing to an extraordinarily low food variety.


METHODS
The study was conducted in April August 1995. Data from this study were used to create two different indices: Food Variety Score (FVS), a simple count of food items, and Dietary Diversity Score (DDS), a count of food groups. Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) was calculated as an indicator for nutrient adequacy, and used to validate FVS and DDS.


RESULTS
Mean (s.d.) FVS was 20.5 (3.8) and mean (s.d.) DDS was 5.8 (1.1). A positive correlation was found both between FVS and MAR (Pearson 0.33, P < 0.001) and DDS and MAR (Pearson 0.39, P < 0.001). With cut-off points for FVS at 23 and for DDS at 6, the indices have high ability to identify those with a nutritionally inadequate diet. MAR increased with increasing FVS and DDS. FVS needs to be at least 15 or DDS at least 5 to give a satisfactory MAR.


CONCLUSIONS
Although a simple count of food items or food groups cannot give a full picture of the adequacy of the nutrient intake, the results from this study show that the food scores can give a fairly good assessment of the nutritional adequacy of the diet, particularly if combined. Such indicators are important for identification of vulnerable groups in areas where people normally eat from a shared bowl, which makes detailed dietary intake studies difficult, time consuming and expensive.
Hatløy
A
A
Institute for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo, Norway.
Torheim
L E
LE
Oshaug
A
A
D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008302:Mali; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status