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Accepted manuscript

Dietary Intake and Micronutrient Adequacy among Adults in Rural Sri Lanka: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Baseline Survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 January 2025

Caroline A. Joyce Open the ORCID record for Caroline A. Joyce [Opens in a new window] ,
Bess L. Caswell ,
Aulo Gelli Open the ORCID record for Aulo Gelli [Opens in a new window] ,
Sonja Y. Hess Open the ORCID record for Sonja Y. Hess [Opens in a new window] ,
Hasara Sitisekara ,
Christine P. Stewart Open the ORCID record for Christine P. Stewart [Opens in a new window] ,
Xiuping Tan ,
Renuka Jayatissa ,
Kalana Peiris  and
Renuka Silva
...Show all authors
Caroline A. Joyce*
Affiliation:
University of California Davis, Department of Nutrition, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, US 95616-5270
Bess L. Caswell
Affiliation:
United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Western Human Nutrition Research Center, John E. Thurman, Jr. Laboratory, 620 W Health Science Dr, Davis, CA 95616
Aulo Gelli
Affiliation:
International Food Policy Research Institute, Eye Street, 1201 I St NW, Washington, DC 20005
Sonja Y. Hess
Affiliation:
University of California Davis, Department of Nutrition, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, US 95616-5270
Hasara Sitisekara
Affiliation:
Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Department of Applied Nutrition, Faculty of Livestock, Fisheries & Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila, North Western Province, LK 60170
Christine P. Stewart
Affiliation:
University of California Davis, Department of Nutrition, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, US 95616-5270
Xiuping Tan
Affiliation:
University of California Davis, Department of Nutrition, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, US 95616-5270
Renuka Jayatissa
Affiliation:
Medical Research Institute Sri Lanka, Dr. Danister De Silva Mawatha (Baseline road), Colombo 08, Sri Lanka
Kalana Peiris
Affiliation:
World Food Programme, No: 2 Jawatte Ave, Colombo 00500, Sri Lanka
Renuka Silva
Affiliation:
Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Department of Applied Nutrition, Faculty of Livestock, Fisheries & Nutrition, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Makandura, Gonawila, North Western Province, LK 60170
Deanna K. Olney
Affiliation:
International Food Policy Research Institute, Eye Street, 1201 I St NW, Washington, DC 20005
*
Corresponding author: Caroline Joyce, Meyer Hall, Attn: Caroline Joyce, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, cjoy@ucdavis.edu, (303) 746-1739
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Abstract

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Objective

To characterize food group consumption, assess the contribution of food groups to energy and micronutrient intake, and estimate usual nutrient intake among adults in rural Sri Lanka.

Design

A baseline survey (Dec 2020–Feb 2021) was conducted as part of an agriculture-based, nutrition-sensitive resilience program evaluation. Dietary intake was assessed using telephone-based 24-hour recalls (n=1283), with repeat recalls from 769 participants. Mean daily intake of food groups and their contribution to energy and nutrient intakes were calculated. The National Cancer Institute method was used to estimate usual intakes and the prevalence of adequate micronutrient intake (PAI). Differences by sex, district, and wealth were assessed using t-tests and ANOVA.

Setting

Forty-five rural villages throughout Sri Lanka.

Participants

Men and women from households in the program evaluation study area.

Results

On average, grains and coconut milk provided 56% and 12% of energy, respectively. Rice, fish, dairy, and pulses were the primary sources of micronutrients. Participants consumed 118±117g vegetables and 71±243g fruit per day. PAI was <25% for calcium; zinc; niacin; folate; and vitamins B6, B12, and C, reflecting low consumption of animal-source foods (ASF; 80 g/day), whole grains, fruits, and vegetables (F&V). Significant differences in food group consumption by sociodemographic subgroup were observed among districts and wealth quintiles.

Conclusions

We observed high consumption of rice and coconut milk and low prevalence of micronutrient adequacy. We recommend increasing ASF, whole grain, and F&V consumption to close nutrient gaps, as well as research to identify effective solutions to increase micronutrient intake.

Keywords

diet assessmentprevalence of adequacymicronutrient intakefruit and vegetables
Type
Research Paper
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Accepted manuscript , pp. 1 - 34
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society