Nutritional status of under-five aged children of ready-made garment workers in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The ready-made garment (RMG) sector is a significant contributor to the economic growth of Bangladesh, accounting for 10% of the country's GDP and more than 80% of its foreign exchange earnings. The workforce in this sector is predominantly made up of women, with 2.5 million women working in the industry. However, these women face numerous challenges in carrying out their culturally-expected household responsibilities, including childcare, due to severe resource constraints. As a result, the children of these working women have a higher incidence of malnutrition, particularly stunted growth. This study aims to identify the factors that contribute to stunting in children under the age of five whose mothers work in the RMG sector in Bangladesh. METHODS: The study collected data from 267 female RMG workers in the Gazipur district of Bangladesh using a simple random sampling technique. Chi-square tests were used to determine the associations between the factors influencing child stunting, and Multinomial Logit Models were used to estimate the prevalence of these factors. RESULTS: The study found that the prevalence of moderate and severe stunting among the children of RMG workers living in the Gazipur RMG hub was 19% and 20%, respectively. The study identified several significant predictors of child stunting, including the mother's education level, nutritional knowledge, control over resources, receipt of antenatal care, household size, sanitation facilities, and childbirth weight. The study found that improving the mother's education level, increasing household size, and receiving antenatal care during pregnancy were important factors in reducing the likelihood of child stunting. For example, if a mother's education level increased from no education to primary or secondary level, the child would be 0.211 (0.071-0.627) and 0.384 (0.138-1.065) times more likely to have a normal weight and height, respectively, than to be moderately stunted. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the challenges faced by working women in the RMG sector, who often receive minimal wages and have limited access to antenatal care services. To address these challenges, the study recommends policies that support antenatal care for working-class mothers, provide daycare facilities for their children, and implement a comprehensive social safety net program that targets child nutrition. Improving the socioeconomic status of mothers is also critical to reducing child malnutrition in this population.

Development of a new food composition table: An updated tool for estimating nutrient intake in Bangladeshi population.

Valid and reliable food composition data have a crucial role in all nutrition-related activities in a country. However, existing food composition tables in Bangladesh date back to 1970s and are outdated in terms of data quality. Consequently, it was imperative to revise the food composition table for Bangladesh (FCTB). This paper describes the generation of an updated food composition database (FCDB) for Bangladesh following international standards. Primary analytical values from 74 foods (including 54 prioritized key foods (KFs)) were generated through component-specific Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) or other internationally accredited methods. Secondary compositional values (analytical, estimated, borrowed, or calculated) were assembled and compiled in accordance with the International Network of Food Data Systems (INFOODS) guidelines and standards. The FCDB now contains updated and well-structured reliable values for 447 foods and 89 components that will have important usages for all stakeholders in the country and elsewhere.

Improved recipes provide better complementary feeding in young children: findings of community-based trials in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: In Bangladesh, only 34% of children receive minimum acceptable diets as complementary foods (CF) for appropriate age while the rest of them remain at the risk of growth faltering, micronutrient deficiency, compromised cognitive development, and increased morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to develop nutritious recipes for complementary feeding and provide necessary guidelines for improving complementary feeding practices for doctors, nutritionist and caregivers. METHODS: This qualitative study including a baseline survey and Trials of Improved Practices of recipes (TIPs) was conducted on families having 6-23 months old children selected by Multi-stage random sampling methods from 2010 to 2012 throughout seven divisions of Bangladesh. Thirty-five food recipes were developed from local food items based on the 'WHO indicators to assess the adequacy of CF practices' for the TIP. Thirty (30) cooked recipes were analyzed for 10 nutrients in an accredited laboratory in Bangladesh. RESULTS: The baseline survey found that energy density of local recipes was low and did not have the required diversity, adequacy, and nutrient density according to IYCF indicators established by WHO. The TIPs found that 28 recipes out of the 35 recipes were most acceptable by both mothers and children. A manual of improved complementary food recipes and a complementary feeding guideline has been developed with calculation of dietary diversity scores, energy and nutrient density. CONCLUSION: This report will provide evidence-based practical knowledge for training and serve as nutrition education tool for nutrition practitioners, policy makers, and academicians.

A comprehensive assessment of arsenic in commonly consumed foodstuffs to evaluate the potential health risk in Bangladesh.

Arsenic (As), particularly of its inorganic form (iAs) is highly toxic, and its presence in food composites is a matter of concern for the public health safety, specifically in Bangladesh which is regarded as the most arsenic affected country throughout the world. This study was carried out to investigate the levels of As in the composite samples of commonly consumed foodstuffs collected from 30 different agro-ecological zones for the first time in Bangladesh. Most of the individual food composites contain a considerable amount of As which was, as a whole, in the range of 0.077-1.5mg/kg fw which was lower than those reported from Spain, EU, France, Korea, whereas higher than those of Mexico, Chile, Japan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Serbia, respectively. Cereals, vegetables, milk, and fish contribute about 90% to the daily intake of inorganic arsenic. Human health risk of dietary iAs was assessed separately for both the rural and urban adults. The estimated daily dietary intakes (EDI) of iAs for the exposed rural (3.5) and urban residents (3.2 µg/kg-BW/day) clearly exceeded the previous provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) value of 2.1 µg/kg-BW/day, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). From the health point of view, this study concluded that both the rural and urban residents of Bangladesh are exposed to carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks who consume As-contaminated water and foodstuffs.

Dietary intake of trace elements from highly consumed cultured fish (Labeo rohita, Pangasius pangasius and Oreochromis mossambicus) and human health risk implications in Bangladesh.

Concentrations of fourteen trace elements (essential and toxic) in the composite samples (collected from 30 different agro-ecological zones for the first time in Bangladesh) of three highly consumed cultured fish species (Labeo rohita, Pangasius pangasius and Oreochromis mossambicus) were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The estimated daily dietary intake (EDI) of all the studied elements was estimated on the basis of a calculation of the amount of fish consumed by Bangladeshi households (mean fish consumption of 49.5 g person(-1) d(-1)). The studied fish species pose no risk with respect to the EDI of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Se, Cu, Mo, Mn, Sb, Ba, V, and Ag. Among the three studied fishes O. mossambicus showed higher content of dietary arsenic (1.486 mg kg(-1)). From the human health point of view, this study showed that the inhabitants in the arsenic-contaminated area, who consume arsenic-contaminated water with fish (especially for O. mossambicus), are exposed chronically to arsenic pollution with carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks.

Nutritional composition of minor indigenous fruits: cheapest nutritional source for the rural people of Bangladesh.

In line of the development of a food composition database for Bangladesh, 10 minor indigenous fruits were analysed for their nutrient composition comprising ascorbic acid, carotenoids and mineral values. Nutrient data obtained have been compared with published data reported in different literatures, book and United States Department of Agriculture-National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Ascorbic acid was highest in Wood apple and lowest in Roselle. Monkey jack contained the highest amount of carotenoids, zinc and copper. Content of calcium, magnesium and phosphorous were found highest in Antidesma velutinum. Potassium was the highest in Wood apple followed by in Moneky jack. It was noted that most of the minor fruits have much higher amount of ascorbic acid than the national fruit - Jack fruit ripe, the king fruit - Mango ripe of Bangladesh and exotic fruits - Apple and Grapes. The nutrient values of these minor fruits would make awareness among the people for their mass consumption for healthy life and to grow more minor fruit trees from extinction in order to maintain biodiversity.

Community based approaches to prevent and control malnutrition.

Community based nutrition programmes (CBNP) are increasingly being seen as a key turning point in implementation strategies leading to food and nutrition improvement as a sound basis for socio-economic development. In order to be effective and successful, CBNP require a constellation of methods and services planned from the community along with policy support for effective implementation, reaching the unreachable and empowering those at the grass roots. These also need to be guided and monitored using a set of indicators such as essential minimum needs indicators specific to the community's needs. The community based approach has also been embraced at the global level with the Millennium Development Goals, advocating achieving a set of eight goals ranging from reducing poverty and hunger to improving educational opportunities for all children and forming stronger global partnerships for development. Lessons learned from CBNP in Asia show that in order to be effective, the programmes must be adopted at national level and implemented at community level. National level leadership and commitment to sound nutrition improvement policies and goals, must be combined with basic services, mass mobilization, people empowerment and actions at community level.

Indigenous peoples' food systems for health: finding interventions that work.

This is a short report of a 'safari' held in conjunction with the International Congress of Nutrition in September 2005, in Futululu, St. Lucia, South Africa. Participants were several members of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences Task Force on Indigenous Peoples' Food Systems and Nutrition, other interested scientists and members of the Kwa Zulu indigenous community. The paper describes the rationale for and contributions towards understanding what might be successful interventions that would resonate among indigenous communities in many areas of the world. A summary of possible evaluation strategies of such interventions is also given.

Food-based strategies to meet the challenges of micronutrient malnutrition in the developing world.

The purpose of the present paper is to review the evidence in favour of food-based strategies to meet the challenges of micronutrient malnutrition in the developing world. Increasing dietary diversification is the most important factor in providing a wide range of micronutrients, and to achieve this objective in a development context requires an adequate supply, access and consumption of a variety of foods. Diets in developing countries generally lack many nutrients, including energy (inadequate amounts of food), so that strategies need to also emphasize an increase in total food intake, in addition to a greater variety. Agricultural and food policies tend to be oriented to primary agricultural productions, but they could also be formulated to promote and support home gardens and small livestock production for the explicit purpose of increasing the household consumption of micronutrient-rich foods. The adoption of 'desirable' dietary patterns for nutrition improvement, e.g. appropriately formulated to meet micronutrient needs, could be used in the formulation of agricultural policies and programmes. This process could be achieved through support for integrated farming systems oriented to assuring household food security, but also based on a variety of foods that will meet total dietary (including micronutrient) needs. Thus, availability of energy-rich staples, animal and/or fish as major sources of protein, and vitamin-, mineral- and phytonutrient-rich fruit and vegetables could constitute the types of production envisaged. The cultivation of edible indigenous plants as additional sources of micronutrients could also be added. The low bioavailability of some key micronutrients from foods, such as Fe, are substantially enhanced with the right food combinations and with appropriate food processing and preparation techniques. Simple appropriate technology for the preservation of micronutrient-rich foods would need further development and promotion for their year-round availability. Linking community development policies to national programmes for the alleviation of hunger and malnutrition, with an emphasis on increasing the variety of foods consumed, is probably the best strategy for improving micronutrient malnutrition sustainably.