1000
Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr (1996) 5(3): 164-169
Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr (1996) 5(3): 164-169

A
simplified dietary assessment to identify groups at-risk for dietary
vitamin A deficiency
Regina A Pedro, Luz V Candelaria, Felicitas
F Bacos, Berna D Ungson and Eleanor M Lanot
Food and Nutrition Research Institute,
Department of Science and Technology, Metro Manila, Philippines
The study aimed 1) to develop a locally adapted
SDA (simplified dietary assessment) questionnaire taking into consideration
available vitamin A rich foods and portion sizes in the study sites,
and 2) to compare the SDA methodology vis-a-vis the long method
of dietary vitamin A assessment. Field testing of the SDA questionnaire
was carried out among 433 preschoolers belonging to households with
or without home gardens in 3 selected municipalities. Vitamin A
status of the children was assessed using the SDA and long method
of dietary evaluation.
Comparison of vitamin A status using SDA vis-a-vis
the long method revealed that 85 and 86% of those found to have
high risk for vitamin A inadequacy using the SDA actually had <67%
vitamin A adequacy using the long method, during the lean and peak
periods of home gardening, respectively (significant at a £ 0.01). The SDA also showed high sensitivity
in identifying preschool children with high VAD risk with 88-90%
positive predictive value, and a high specificity in not classifying
as low (96%) or moderate (91%) VAD risk cases those children who
did not meet 100% RDA or had vitamin A intake which was either ³ 100% adequacy or <67% RDA
for vitamin A.
The SDA method provides a simple and rapid approach
to assessment of risk for dietary inadequacy of vitamin A among
population groups or individuals. The availability of the SDA empowers
the Local Government Units (LGUs), Non-Government Organisations
(NGOs) and Peoples Organisations to assess VAD in their areas
on a more timely basis and facilitates feedback to mothers of children
at-risk through nutrition education and counselling.
Introduction
While the Philippine national nutrition surveys include
estimates of per capita as well as preschool vitamin A intake and
adequacy, this is done only every five years and estimates only for
national and regional levels can be generated. At present, the commonly
employed method for estimating VAD (vitamin A deficiency) uses the
complex food weighing or 24-hour recall which requires technical expertise
in data collection and analysis. While local manpower for nutrition
may be available, technical expertise in dietary assessment is wanting.
This has been recognised as a major obstacle in efforts towards efficient
programming, planning and managing of intervention strategies. 1000
There have been efforts in developing short methods
of nutritional assessment including shorter versions of the Food Composition
Tables1,2, dietary diversity scores3, key monitoring
indicators4, and proxy indicators such as the use of core
foods5 or number of meals per day6. The key
monitoring and proxy indicators have yet to be tested and validated.
Furthermore, training and use of local manpower as data collectors
for national and regional nutrition surveys have been resorted to
in recent years in an effort to build local capabilities for nutritional
assessment to some extent. At the least, however, college education
and a degree in nutrition or allied fields, skill and competence remained
basic requirements7.
For the assessment of vitamin A status, guidelines
for a simplified procedure were developed by the International Vitamin
A Consultative Group or IVACG8. The simplified dietary
assessment fills the pressing need for a simple and rapid procedure
for dietary assessment to enable local government units, peoples
organisations and non-government organisations to generate crucial
information on vitamin A status so that the vitamin A problem in a
province, city, municipality, and barangay can be attended to.
Description of the Simplified Dietary Assessment
The Simplified Dietary Assessment (SDA) procedure
classifies populations and individuals into categories of VAD risk
on the basis of habitual vitamin A intake. The SDA is simple and rapid
because it focuses only on vitamin A rich foods and food combinations
commonly available and eaten by a population or specific age group
being investigated in a geographical area of interest. In developing
countries, these are usually not very many. The assessment includes
a simple 24-hour recall of intake by portion size instead of actual
weight, combined with a one-week or one month history of usual intake
pattern. Instead of assessing intakes by physical units (ie microgram
of retinol equivalent), foods are categorised as high, moderate or
low vitamin A food based on the retinol content of the typical small
portion size (SPS).
The assessment is done using a locally-adapted and
simple structured questionnaire. A worker with limited specialisation
in nutrition and food composition can be trained with ease and use
the questionnaire without supervision to determine the relative risk
of habitually inadequate vitamin A intake of target individuals.
Objectives of the Study
The study reported here aimed to: develop a locally-adapted
SDA questionnaire taking into consideration available vitamin A rich
foods and portion sizes of such foods for preschool children in study
sites, and compare the SDA and traditional long method of dietary
assessment.
Methodology
This study was a major component of the home gardening
study done in three provinces covered by the Department of Agricultures
Family Food Production Project (FFPP) and employed a three stage (municipality,
barangay, households) sampling in the selection of sample site and
study households based on the presence of a home gardening program.
One municipality each in Abra and Catanduanes and two in Bataan, and
four barangays per province - two with FFPP and two without - were
chosen. Households with garden (102) and without (106) garden were
randomly selected from households with second and third degree malnourished
preschool children in the study sites. A total of 433 preschool children
were included in the study. The study involved assessment of dietary
intake during two periods - one during the cool dry months (December
- February) or peak period and the other during the 1000 hot dry months
(March to May) or lean gardening period.
A complete 24-hour recall of food intake including
intake outside the home was carried out on each of the preschool children
in the study with mothers as respondent. In addition, a weekly vitamin
A food frequency interview using the Simplified Dietary Assessment
(SDA) questionnaire for each child was done. The 24-hour recall data
were processed in two ways: one through the SDA method to determine
the Consumption Index (CI) score and vitamin A deficiency (VAD) risk
category and the other through the traditional long method which involved
the calculation of vitamin A content using the Philippine Food Composition
Table9 and percent vitamin A adequacy using the Recommended
Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Filipinos10. Retinol from
breastmilk was also considered in the computation of total retinol
intake. Retinol content of breastmilk was estimated for breastfed
children based on the daily average breastmilk intake of children
per age group. The weekly food frequency data were also processed
using the SDA to determine the Usual Pattern of Food (UPF) score and
VAD risk category. Differences between the peak and lean periods were
compared, using the paired t-test and ANOVA, for preschoolers present,
for both periods.
Data on VAD risk levels obtained using the SDA were
tested vis-a-vis data on vitamin A percent adequacy from traditional
or long method for sensitivity and specificity using the 2 x 2 contingency
table for the correspondence of diagnostic classification. The chi-square
goodness-of-fit test was applied. Differences between the distribution
of children by VAD risk category using the SDA and by percent vitamin
A adequacy using the long method as well as by VAD risk based on the
one-day consumption index (CI) and usual pattern of food consumption
(UPF) scores were tested using the chi-square.
Towards developing the local SDA which was the major
tool used in assessing the vitamin A intake of preschool children
from households with and without home gardens, in a study on the impact
of home gardening on vitamin A consumption11, the following
stepwise procedure was carried out:
- Identification of common sources of vitamin A in
study areas. This was done by reviewing past dietary data and special
nutrition studies with dietary assessment components done by the
FNRI in provinces which to a large extent are not culturally or
socio-economically distinct from the study sites; doing market surveys
in study sites; and examining agricultural reports of municipalities
concerned.
- Determination of portion sizes of available and
commonly eaten food sources of vitamin A. Portion sizes, in common
household measures, were determined from past dietary surveys and
studies by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute. The frequently
recorded smallest portion size for each of the foods was identified
as the "small portion size" or SPS, while the largest
recorded portion size was "large portion size" or LPS.
When the perceived SPS of a particular food known to be a vitamin
A source yielded a very small amount of vitamin A and its medium
portion size (MPS) still yielded less than 50 mcg RE, portion sizes
were adjusted.
A portion size card was developed. The card defines
the small, medium and large portion sizes of each food in the
list to aid the researcher when administering the SDAQ.
- Determination of vitamin A content (m g RE) of small portion
1000 sizes of available and commonly eaten food sources of vitamin
A and grouping by vitamin A content.
The weight in grams of the SPS of foods listed was computed using
the List of Weights and Measures12 as reference while
vitamin A content was determined using the Philippine Food Composition
Table9. The foods in the list were then arranged in
ascending order according to vitamin A content of the SPS.
Foods whose SPS contained less than 50 m g RE were categorised as
Low vitamin A foods; those with 50-250 m g RE were grouped as Moderate
vitamin A foods and those with greater than 250 m g RE as High vitamin A foods.
- Assignment of a vitamin A score to each food and
food combination. A score of 1 was assigned to the SPS of low vitamin
A foods.
For moderate and high vitamin A foods, the scores
were 3 and 5 respectively. Scores increase proportionately from
the basic score for medium and large portion sizes of the same foods,
as well as "relative-to-weekly" frequency of intake.
- Design of the SDAQ (Appendix) Where is this appendix?
It is needed. It would also be helpful to include the questionnaire.
The first column lists the commonly eaten and available
food sources of vitamin A by vitamin A content, ie low, moderate
or high vitamin A food. The next three columns show the vitamin
A scores corresponding to small, medium and large portion sizes
for each food in the list for the 24-hour recall component of the
SDAQ. The next several columns show vitamin A scores corresponding
to the frequency of consumption in a week by portion size for each
food in the list, for the weekly food frequency component of the
SDAQ.
The lower portion of the SDAQ provides space for
indicating the Consumption Index, which is the summation of scores
relative to the 24-hour recall component of the SDA, and the Usual
Pattern of Food score, which is the summation of scores relative
to the weekly food frequency component of the SDA. Information on
breastfeeding and vitamin A supplementation are accounted for in
a space provided in the questionnaire.
Results
A. Vitamin A status using the long method of
dietary assessment
The mean vitamin A intake by the children, all ages
considered, was calculated to be 56.9% RDA during the peak home gardening
period and 67.1% RDA during the lean period. Children who were less
than two years of age had higher vitamin A intake (74% RDA and 70.5%
RDA during the peak and lean periods, respectively) than the 2 - 6
years old (50.5% RDA and 65.8% RDA for peak and lean, respectively).
The advantage of the younger preschool children may be attributed
to breastfeeding, particularly by about 74% of these children (Table
1). The higher vitamin A intake during the lean period may be attributed
to the high intake of vitamin C-rich foods which were likewise good
sources of vitamin A, like mangoes, especially during the summer months.
The role of fats and oils is essential to the absorption of vitamin
A. However, intake was very low during the peak and lean period. This
was reflective only of the amount of oil/fat inherent to the food
item eaten. Added oil/fat use 1000 d in cooking was not accounted
for.
Table 1. Mean and standard deviation vitamin
A intake including breastmilk from one-day food recall.
Age group |
Vitamin A
|
Assumed vitamin A
|
Total vitamin A
|
|
from food sources
|
from breast milk
|
Intake
|
% Adequacy
|
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Less than 2 years |
110.1± 247.3
n=109
|
99.9± 130.3
n=103
|
198.3± 86.4
n=87
|
208.2± 84.5
n=85
|
247.8± 242.2
n=118
|
237.2± 131.6
n=118
|
< 1000 font size="1">74.0± 73.1
|
70.5± 39.1
|
2-6 years old |
181.9± 214.7
n=315
|
237.2± 514.1
n=314
|
125.0± 160.5
n=6
|
70.0± 27.4
n=5
|
184.1± 215.6
n=315
|
238.3± 513.9
n=314
|
50.5± 58.6
|
65.8± 144.9
|
All Ages |
163.4± 225.4
n=424
|
203.3± 454.4
n=417
|
193.5± 93.3
n=93
|
200.6± 88.2
n=90
|
201.5± 224.7
n=433
|
238.0± 443.3
n=432
|
56.9± 63.6
|
67.1± 125.1
|
In terms of distribution, 69.3% and
67.7% of the preschool children had < 67% vitamin A adequacy;
18.0% and 21.1% had 67- 99% of the RDA while 12.7% and 11.3% met
100% adequacy for the same nutrient during the peak and lean home
gardening periods (Table 2). |
Table 2. Distribution of preschoolers
by adequacy level of vitamin A intake, by gardening period of
collection.
Vitamin A adequacy
level |
Peak
|
Lean
|
|
% Distribution of preschoolers
|
Less than 67% |
69.3
|
67.6
|
67 - 99% |
18.0
|
21.1
|
100% and above |
12.7
|
11.3
|
|
B. Vitamin A Deficiency risk
using the SDA
Using the SDA, mean vitamin A scores based on a one-day CI were
3.8 ± 4.4 SD during the peak period and 3.6 ± 3.7 SD during the lean
period (Table 3). This means that, on average, a child included
in the study ate less than four small portions of a low vitamin
A food (eg about 4 tbsp of kamote* tops) or about 1 small portion
each of a low vitamin A food (eg 1 Tbsp of kamote tops) and
a medium vitamin A food (eg 1 Tbsp malunggay** leaves) a day.
Also using the SDA, computed were mean vitamin
A scores of 32.4 ± 27.6 SD for the peak and 28.7 ± 25.4 SD for the lean based on a on 1000 e week usual pattern
of food (UPF) particularly with reference to vitamin A foods.
The UPF scores indicate that, on the average, a child included
in the study had for one week a total of 32 small portions of
low vitamin A foods or other possible combination, considering
scores assigned to the vitamin A foods and portion sizes in
the locally-adapted SDAQ.
In terms of distribution, 63% to 67% of the
sample children, based on UPF scores, and 70% to 72%, based
on CI scores, were found to have high VAD risk. The difference
in the distribution by VAD risk using CI and UPF scores were
not found to be significant. Children 2 - 6 years old had a
higher proportion of high VAD risk than the less than two years
of age regardless of gardening period. The proportion of children
with low VAD risk, however, was higher among the older preschoolers
than the younger ones (Table 4).
|
Table 3. Mean and standard
deviation vitamin A scores from one-day food recall and weekly
food frequency pattern.
Age group/
Study period |
One-day food recall
|
Weekly food frequency pattern
|
Less than 2 years |
|
|
Peak |
4.6 ± 4.0 SD
|
33.3 ± 19.4 SD
|
Lean |
4.3 ± 2.4 SD
|
31.7 ± 18.5 SD
|
2 - 6 years old |
|
|
Peak |
3.4 ± 4.6 SD
1000 |
32.1 ± 30.2 SD
|
Lean |
3.3 ± 4.1 SD
|
27.6 ± 27.4 SD
|
All ages |
|
|
Peak |
3.8 ± 4.4 SD
|
32.4 ± 27.6 SD
|
Lean |
3.6 ± 3.7 SD
|
28.7 ± 25.4 SD
|
Anova-test significant difference in vitamin
A score for one-day food recall between age group at a £ 0.01 during lean period and a £ 0.05 during peak
period. T-test significant difference in vitamin A score for
weekly food frequency pattern between study period at a £ 0.05 for children
ages 2-6.
|
C. Comparison of SDA with the long method
of dietary assessment
The chi-square goodness-of-fit test showed that
the distribution of preschool children by VAD risk using the
SDA methodology tended to be similar as that of the long method
of assessment, the relationship being highly significant (P
£ 0.01) for all ages and by
age groups. Table 5 shows the distribution of preschool children
(PSC) by V 1000 AD risk category using the SDA and by percent
adequacy of vitamin A intake using the long method. Eighty eight
to 90% of those children, all ages considered, with < 67%
vitamin A adequacy, were correctly classified as high VAD risk,
indicating high sensitivity of the SDA in identifying high VAD
risk cases. The sensitivity and specificity of the SDA vis-a-vis
the long method are highlighted in Table 6. Positive predictive
values of the instrument for identifying high VAD risk were
computed to be 86% and 85% for the peak and lean periods, respectively
(Table 7). A lower sensitivity of the SDA in classifying those
children whose vitamin A intakes were between 67 - 99% of the
RDA (57-61%) as well as those who met 100% RDA (49-68%) was,
however shown. By age group, the SDA instrument developed appears
to have higher sensitivity in identifying VAD risk levels of
children less than two years of age as positive predictive values
for children were higher regardless of period than that for
children 2 - 6 years old regardless of period. The results also
indicate a high specificity of the SDA for the low and moderate
VAD risk categories as more than 90% of children who did not
meet 100% adequacy or had vitamin A intake which were either
> 100% adequacy and < 67% adequacy were not classified
as low or moderate risk, respectively. With regard to the specificity
of the SDA for high VAD risk, 67 - 69% of children whose vitamin
A intake was more than two-thirds of the RDA were not classified
as high risk.
|
Table 4. Percent distribution
by vitamin A deficiency risk categories using SDA method by age
group.
A. Usual pattern of food consumption.
Vitamin A deficiency
|
< 2 years old
|
2 - 6 years old
|
All ages
|
risk category |
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Low |
12.7
|
6.8
|
20.0
|
13.7
|
18.0
|
11.8
|
Moderate |
36.4
|
39.0
|
12.4
|
15.0
|
18.9
|
21.5
|
High |
50.8
|
54.2
|
67.6
|
71.3
|
63.0
|
66.7
|
B. 24-hr food recall consumption index.
Vitamin A deficiency
|
< 2 years old
|
2 - 6 years old
|
All ages
|
risk category |
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Low |
11.0
|
7.6
|
10.8
|
11.5
|
10.9
|
10.4
|
Moderate |
28.8
|
38.1
|
12.1
|
12.7
|
16.6
|
19.7
|
High |
60.2
|
54.2
|
77.1
|
75.8
|
72.5
|
69.9
|
|
Table 5. Distribution of PSC (pre-school children)
by vitamin A deficiency risk category and by vitamin A adequacy level
by gardening period. (*Chi-square test significant
at a £ 0.01)
All ages
Vitamin A |
Peak
|
Lean
|
deficiency risk category |
Level of percent adequacy
n (%)
|
Level of percent adequacy
n (%)
|
|
n
|
<67%
|
67-99%
|
³ 100%
|
n
|
<67%
|
67-99%
|
³ 100%
|
Low |
47(10.9)
|
7(2.3)
|
8(10.2)
|
32(58.2)
|
45(10.4)
|
11.(3.8)
|
12(13.2)
|
22(44.9)
|
Moderate |
72(16.6)
|
23(7.7)
|
41(52.6)
|
8(14.5)
|
85(19.7)
|
23(7.9)
|
32(57.1)
|
10(20.4)
|
High |
314(72.5)
|
270(90.0)
|
29(37.2)
|
15(27.3)
|
302(69.9)
|
258(88.4)
|
27(29.7)
|
17(34.7)
|
Total |
433(100.0)
|
300(100.0)
|
78(100.0)
|
55(100.0)
|
432(100.0)
|
292(100.0)
|
71(100.0)
|
49(100.0)
|
Less than 2 years old
Vitamin A |
|
Peak*
|
Lean*
|
deficiency risk category |
|
Level of percent adequacy
n (%)
|
Level of percent adequacy
n (%)
|
|
n
|
<67%
|
67-99%
|
³ 100%
|
n
|
<67%
|
67-99%
|
³ 100%
|
Low |
13(11.0)
|
-
|
2(4.5)
|
11(78.6)
|
9(7.6)
|
1(1.6)
|
2(4.3)
|
6(54.5)
|
Moderate |
34(28.8)
|
-
|
32(72.7)
|
2(14.3)
|
45(38.1)
|
5(8.2)
|
36(78.3)
|
4(36.4)
|
High |
71(60.2)
|
60(100.0)
|
10(22.7)
|
1(7.1)
|
64(54.2)
|
55(90.2)
|
8(17.4)
|
1(9.1)
|
Total |
118(100.0)
|
60(100.0)
|
44(100.0)
|
14(100.0)
|
118(100.0)
|
61(100.0)
|
46(100.0)
|
11(100.0)
|
2- 6 years olds
Vitamin A deficiency |
|
Peak*
|
Lean*
|
risk category |
|
Level of percent adequacy
n (%)
|
Level of percent adequacy
n (%)
|
|
n
|
<67%
|
67-99%
|
³ 100%
|
n
|
<67%
|
67-99%
|
³ 100%
|
Low |
34(10.8)
|
7(2.9)
|
6(17.6)
|
21(51.2)
|
36(11.5)
|
10(4.3)
|
10(22.2)
|
16(42.1)
|
Moderate |
38(12.1)
|
23(9.6)
|
9(26.5)
|
6(14.6)
|
40(12.7)
|
18(7.8)
|
16(35.6)
|
6(15.8)
|
1000
High |
243(77.1)
|
210(87.5)
|
19(55.9)
|
14(34.1)
|
238(75.8)
|
203(87.9)
|
19(42.2)
|
16(42.1)
|
Total |
315(100.0)
|
240(100.0)
|
34(100.0)
|
41(100.0)
|
314(100.0)
|
231(100.0)
|
45(100.0)
|
38(100.0)
|
The sensitivity of the SDA for low and moderate
VAD may be improved, it is proposed, by adjusting the cut-off
scores for VAD risk categories as follows (specifically for
CI):
- High VAD risk - < 5 CI score
- Moderate VAD risk - 5 - 6 CI score
- Low VAD risk ³ 7 CI score
A child with a total CI score of 7 in theory
had about 350 m g RE ( 7 x 50 m g RE) which is about 100% of the
RDA for Filipino preschool children, and should thus be classified
as low rather than moderate risk. The IVACG guidelines indicated
a cut- off of >7 rather than ³ 7 CI score for low VAD risk. Those children whose CI scores
are 5 and 6 (estimating an intake which is more than two-thirds
of but less than the RDA) may be classified as moderate risk.
Cut-off for UPF scores should also be adjusted accordingly.
Using these modified cut-off points, the SDAs
sensitivity of classifying as low VAD risk those children with
³ 100% of the recommended intake,
increased to 55% from 45% during the lean period. The positive
predictive value of the instrument for identifying moderate
cases was improved 1000 from 57 to 67% during the peak and from
61 to 66% during the lean.
|
Table 6. Sensitivity and specificity
of using the SDA method vis-a-vis the long method of dietary assessment.
Vitamin
A deficiency risk category |
Sensitivity
|
Specificity
|
Low |
|
|
Peak |
58.2
|
96.0
|
Lean |
44.9
|
94.0
|
Moderate |
|
|
Peak |
52.6
|
91.3
|
Lean |
57.1
|
90.3
|
High |
|
|
Peak |
90.0
|
66.9
|
Lean |
88.4
|
68.6
|
|
With regard to the other signs of vitamin A
deficiency, there were no repo 1000 rted signs of Bitots
spots or any complaints about night-blindness among the children.
Conclusions
In the light of the local government code, the
need for local level assessment of nutritional status and planning
of nutrition programs has become more urgent. The country recognises
it needs assessment models, such as the SDA for determining
VAD risk, which local manpower can adapt if proven useful.
Assessment results using the SDA on the one
hand and the long method on the other, particularly with regard
to the distribution of preschool children by vitamin A deficiency/adequacy,
are highly comparable. The high sensitivity of the SDA in identifying
the high VAD risk cases makes the instrument most useful for
prioritising individuals as well as communities for vitamin
A interventions considering limited resources. The high specificity
of the SDA for low and moderate VAD, likewise, limits the probability
of misclassifying high risk VAD cases as low priority for vitamin
A intervention. Adjusting the cut-off scores for low and moderate
VAD risks categories using CI scores could improve to some extent
the sensitivity of the instrument in classifying low risk cases
as well as the positive predictive value for identifying moderate
cases.
|
Table 7. Positive predictive
values of using the SDA method vis-a-vis the long method of dietary
assessment.
Vitamin A |
< 2 years old
|
2 - 6 years old
|
All ages
|
deficiency
risk category |
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Peak
|
Lean
|
Low |
85
|
67
|
62
|
44
|
68
|
49
|
Moderate |
94
|
80
|
24
|
40
|
57
|
61
|
High |
85
|
86
|
86
|
85
|
86
|
85
|
|
The SDA questionnaire is easy to administer and accomplish,
although this has yet to be tested among field workers in nutrition
in as much as the purpose is for a local level assessment of VAD risk
by local personpower. Technical skill however seemed to be a requisite
for developing the appropriate SDA questionnaire. Provincial and municipal
nutritionists who are knowledgeable about food consumption patterns
in their communities may be tapped and trained to do this. A SDA questionnaire
that may be applicable to the widest extent possible, ie across geographical
groups in the country may be looked into.
Among the potential benefits of the SDA are :
- The availability of the SDA empowers the Local
Government Units (LGUs), Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and
Peoples Organisations to assess vitamin A deficiency in a
province, municipality and barangay on a more timely basis, and
therefore efficiently and more responsively address the problem;
- Simple and adaptable for use by the local level,
the SDA promotes peoples participation in planning and managing
community nutrition and development projects; and
- The SDA facilitates feedback to mothers of children
at-risk through nutrition education and counselling.
Ethics approval. Informed consent to participate
in the above study was obtained from the sample households after being
advised of the nature of the study.
A simplified dietary assessment to identify groups
at-risk for dietary vitamin A deficiency
Ma. Regina A. Pedro, Luz V. Candelaria,
Felicitas F. Bacos, Berna D. Ungson and Eleanor M. Lanot
Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical
Nutrition (1996) Volume 5, Number 3: 164-169

References
- De Guzman MPE, Donato DS, Abanto ZU, Jandayan MO,
et al. Development of a short method of dietary analysis for Metro
Manila. Food and Nutrition Research Institute. Publ. no.179, 1980:26.
- Villavieja GM, Boquecosa JP, Valerio TE, and Basamot
MB. Short method of dietary evaluation. 1988.Food and Nutrition
Research Institute (unpublished).
- Limbo AB, Loyola CS, and Mendoza OS. A comparative
analysis of some evaluating diets of preschool children for low
income families. Phil Jour Nutr 1984; 37: 182-193.
- Red ER, Valerio TE, Villavieja GV, and Raymundo
BE. Key monitoring indicators of nutrient intake levels in the Filipino
diet. Jour Nutr-Dietns Assn Phil 1991; 5: 68-81.
- Identification of nutritionally at-risk communities
and geographic areas, FAO- RAPA Publication No. 11.1988: 1-31.
- The social welfare indicator system project. Department
of Social Welfare and Development - Philippines. (personal communication)
1992.
- Villavieja GM, Boquecosa JP, and Cerdena CM. Developing
capability of local manpower in field collection of nutrition survey
data and related information. 1991. Food and Nutrition Research
Institute (unpublished).
- Underwood and et al. Guidelines for the development
of simplified dietary assessment to identify group at-risk for inadequate
intake of vitamin A. IVACG. 1989.
- Food composition table for Philippine use. 6th
edition. 1990. Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
- Recommended dietary allowances for Filipinos for
specific nutrients. 1989. Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
- Pedro MRA, Florentino RF, Candelaria LV, Ungson
BD, Zarate Jr. RU, Ramirez MARM, and Lanot EM. An evaluation of
the impact of gardening on the consumption of vitamin A and iron
among preschool children. Publ. no. FNRI-TP-93-RP. 1993.
- Standard weights and measures. Food and Nutrition
Research Institute. 1992. (unpublished).

Copyright © 1996 [Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition]. All
rights reserved.
Revised:
January 19, 1999
.
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