Dietary diversity and micronutrient adequacy among women of reproductive age: a cross-sectional study in Southern Thailand

INTRODUCTION: Adequate nutritional intake of both macronutrients and micronutrients is essential for maintaining good health throughout life, particularly for women of reproductive age (WRA). The Minimum Dietary Diversity for WRA (MDD-W), or the sum of dietary diversity, is recommended as a simple indicator to identify at-risk WRA populations. However, there are no studies on the MDD-W among WRA in Thailand. OBJECTIVES: To determine food group diversity, MDD-W, and micronutrient intake of WRA in Southern Thailand. PARTICIPANTS: From December 2020 to November 2021, 120 healthy, young WRA (average age 33.2 ± 4.5 years) were enrolled. METHODS: A 24-h food record was used to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the food consumed. Dietary diversity was classified into ten food groups. The macronutrients and 15 micronutrients were calculated using the software program INMUCAL, which is the standard program for calculating nutrients in Thai food. The calculated intake of each micronutrient was transformed to the probability of adequacy (PA). RESULTS: The most common foods consumed were rice, followed by meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. Fewer than 40% of the participants consumed beans, dairy products, vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables, dark green vegetables, and pulses. The average MDD-W score was 5 (range 2–8). The mean caloric intake (1,865 cal/day) was adequate for non-lactating WRA but was approximately 300 kcal/day lower than the recommendation for lactating WRA. Most WRA consumed lower amounts of micronutrients than those recommended. The mean PA (MPA) of the 15 micronutrients was 0.33 (range 0.0–0.9). CONCLUSIONS: Non-pregnant WRA in Songkhla consumed adequate macronutrients but inadequate micronutrients. A nutritional education program regarding the importance of micronutrients should be provided to the public, with special attention to WRA.