MODIFYING MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES USING FOOD-BASED INTERVENTIONS

The micronutrient deficiencies are an important public health problem. The primary underlying cause of micronutrient deficiencies is insufficient intake. Aim of this paper was to describe the micronutrient intake status in women. In this cross-sectional study, 3-day food records 125 volunteer women were assessed using the Nutritionist III software in Ardabil city. Finally, the Dietary Reference Intake standards were used to evaluate the intake of nutrients. Based on the results, the proportion of the population with intakes below the dietary reference intake was 63.3% for iron, 60.5% for zinc, 82.9% for vitamin A and 97.5% for folate. On the other hand, the proportion of women with insufficient intakes of four micronutrients was 60.97%. The studied women were at increased risk for insufficient micronutrient intakes due to poor diet quality. Based on results, it seems that we need to long-term intervention strategies for multimicronutrient deficiencies in Iran.

Keywords:

Micronutrients , Intake , Dietary Reference Intakes , Women