| Re: Women's Dietary Diversity Indicator [message #1801 is a reply to message #1796] |
Thu, 03 April 2014 12:35   |
terriballard
Messages: 1
Registered: April 2014
Location: Rome Italy
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I would like to enthusiastically endorse the suggestion by the FANTA III project to include a measure of women's dietary diversity in the DHS, and am in agreement with Mary Arimond's suggestion on rewording for the food group composed of sugary beverages.
At FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN), we have included women's dietary diversity in surveys and have endorsed its use in nutrition surveillance systems for a number of years. The adequate diet of women of reproductive age is key to interrupting the intergenerational phenomenon of malnutrition by reducing the probability of low birth weights and other negative birth outcomes. Likewise, women whose diet is sufficient in nutrients and micronutrients will be in a better situation to provide care of their children as well as carrying out all the other duties they are responsible for.
Having a baseline of women's dietary diversity from a nationally representative sample from DHS will provide a benchmark to programs to improve nutrition through agriculture and health.
Thank you for this opportunity to express my opinion on inclusion of a tool for measuring women's dietary diversity in the DHS.
Terri Ballard
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/wa_workshop/docs/FA O-guidelines-dietary-diversity2011.pdf
Terri Ballard DrPH
Food and nutrition security specialist
FAO
Statistics Division
Rome, Italy
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