Food patterns during an economic crisis among pregnant women in Purworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1996 and 1998. Six 24-hour recalls were performed during the second trimester of pregnancy among 450 women in Purworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia. The objectives of the study were to assess the food intake and food pattern among pregnant women before and during the economic crisis. Before the crisis, rich women had the highest intakes of animal foods, fats and oils, and sugar. Food intake among the urban poor and the rural landless poor subgroups was influenced by the emerging economic crisis. Although the price of rice increased, the intake of rice also increased among all subgroups. Rural poor women with access to rice fields increased their intake of rice and decreased their intake of nonrice staple foods (p < .05). There were significant decreases in the consumption of chicken by rich women and rural poor women with access to rice fields (p < .05). Rice was a strongly inferior good and remained an important supplier of energy, protein, and carbohydrate. Nuts and pulses were important suppliers of calcium and iron, and vegetables were an important supplier of vitamin A. Rich women increased their intake of nuts and pulses, vegetables, fats and oils, and sugar when their intake of rice increased (p < .05). The food patterns were based on rice, nuts and pulses, and vegetables, i.e., plant food. All but the rich women decreased their intake of nutritious foods such as meat, chicken, and fruits. The intake of nuts and pulses and of vegetables increased, whereas the intake of cooking oil and sugar remained constant.
Hartini
Theresia Ninuk
TN
Community Health and Nutrition Research Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Nutrition Academy, Ministry of Health, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. niihai98@student.umu.se, ninuk02@yahoo.co.uk
Winkvist
Anna
A
Lindholm
Lars
L
Stenlund
Hans
H
Surjono
Achmad
A
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D007887:Fabaceae; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D008460:Meat; D011939:Mental Recall; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D014675:Vegetables