MSc

A study on the food consumption pattern and
nutritional status of 120 agricultural women labourers was carried
out in Palakkad district during 2002.
The results of the study indicated that majority of the
families were of nuclear type and followed patriarchal family
system. Majority of them were Hindus and belonged to scheduled
caste. The family size ranged in between four to six.
Majority of the adults were literate and engaged as
agricultural labourers. Upto 10 cents of land was owned by
majority of respondents. Only very few families cultivated crops
and had domestic animals .
. Majority of the families had a monthly income In
between Rs. 500-2500.
Very few families took loan from bank and co-operative
society.
Maximum proportion of income was spent on food
items specially cereals and nobody had the habit of saving money.
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All the families owned a house and most of them were
brick made and tiled. The houses were occupied with separate
kitchen with two to three rooms. Drinking water, electricity and
recreational facilities were satisfactory where as proper lavatory
and drainage facilities were not present in the houses.

Most of the families used firewood as fuel and some of
them used sawdust and kerosene along with wood.
As a medical aid majority of the families depended on
primary health centre (PHC), private hospital as well as district
hospital for their medical care.
Very few respondents were members of social
organisations.
All the families surveyed were non vegetarians and
consumed rice as the staple food. Maximum of the food
expenditure was for cereals compared to other food items. Most
frequently used foods were cereals, fats and oils, spices and
condiments and sugar and jaggery.
Majority of the families did not plan their meals in
advance and consumed food three times a day and gave equal
importance to all family members in food distribution.
Consumption of raw vegetables was meagre. Majority
of the families reused the left over foods. Practice of drinking
water without boiling was more common.
Special foods are given only during infancy. Diet
modification during disease conditions was observed.
The nutritional profile of the respondents indicated
that the body weight varied from 30 kg to 65 kg with a mean
weight of 43.1 kg. Majority (86.67 %) of the respondents had lower
body weight than the reference body weight. Height of 67.5



per cent of the respondents varied from 140.1 cm to 150 cm. About
40 per cent of the respondents had various grades of CED.
Actual food and nutrient intake revealed deficient intake
of all food groups except other vegetables. The intake of all nutrients
was lower than the RDA.
Clinical examination showed various symptoms of
nutritional deficiencies among the respondents.
Biochemical estimation of blood showed low haemoglobin
values among the respondents indicating anaemia.
Majority of the respondents used to work for 7 % hours in
a day for a wage varying from Rs. 40 to 50 .
. All the labourers showed negative energy balance when
the daily energy intake was compared with daily energy expenditure.