Nutritional Assessment and Food Consumption Studies

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. explain the direct and indirect methods of nutrition assessment; 2. demonstrate anthropometric, biochemical, clinical and dietary intake assessment methods; 3. identify the various parameters used in food consumption survey; and 4. discover the socio-cultural patterns of food behaviour, food habits, and determinants of food choice and nutrition transition.

Socio-cultural patterns of food behaviour, food habits, and determinants of food choice and nutrition transition. Execution of nutrition surveys of individual and groups in institution, in urban and rural setting. Methods used in nutrition surveys: anthropometry (stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight/obesity), food balance sheets, morbidity and mortality vital statistics, clinical signs, growth monitoring, growth chart methods construction and use of questionnaires, various parameters used in food consumption surveys. methodology in collecting food consumption data (direct methods: weigh food intake, 24-hour dietary recall, food frequency questionnaire, estimated food record and many others.) and indirect methods - food balance sheet, data processing and calculation of various nutrients, interpretation of data collected and use of survey results. Food composition tables.