Study of the Current Stage and Changes over Time and Determinants of Vitamin A and Iron Intake in Nepalese Mothers and their Children from 2001 to 2011

Study of the Current Stage and Changes over Time and Determinants of Vitamin A and Iron Intake in Nepalese Mothers and their Children from 2001 to 2011

Introduction: Micronutrient deficiency is one of the major problems among mothers and children in Nepal. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the proportion and determinants of mothers and children under the age of 3 years taking vitamin A and iron in Nepal between 2001 and 2011. Methods: Data was drawn from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey in 2001 (N=8,726), 2006 (N=10,793), and 2011 (N=12,674). Vitamin A and iron were assessed as intake from foods and supplements. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the determinants of micronutrient intake. Results: The proportion of mothers taking vitamin A from foods increased from 21.1% in 2001 to 74.1% in 2006 and vitamin A from supplements from 11.3% in 2001 to 43.5% in 2011. Similarly, the proportion of mothers taking iron supplementation increased from 57% in 2006 to 80% in 2011. Among children, the proportion taking vitamin A from foods increased from 52.5% in 2006 to 54.8% in 2011, while the proportion of children taking iron from foods decreased from 42.1% in 2006 to 11.1% in 2011. The proportion of children taking vitamin A supplementation decreased from 82.5% in 2001 to 76.7% in 2011. Mother’s education, place of residence, religion, mother smoking status, mother’s age, and child’s age were the key determinants of intake of vitamin A and iron among Nepalese mothers and their children. Conclusion: The proportion of Nepalese mothers taking vitamin A and iron supplementation during pregnancy increased between 2001 and 2011 whereas intake among children decreased during the same period. More prospective studies are needed to understand the changes in nutritional intake.