Food consumption and energy expenditure pattern of employed home-makers in organized sector in Trivandrum

Abstract

A study on the food consumption and energy expenditure pattern of the employed home makers in organized sector in Trivandrum was conducted to assess the socio economic, food consumption pattern of the employed home makers families and personal details related to the home makers.

The 200 home makers surveyed were urban residents of the higher middle class with nuclear families of small size.

To speed up cooking time they used modern methods of cooking besides labour saving gadgets and combinations of cooking fuels. Employment was sought by these women due to economic necessity and the need for self actualization. Income of the home makers was utilized for household related expenses, needs of children and supplementing family diet. The dual role of these home maker imposed difficulties such as improper care of their families and poor management of household work. Barring minor health problems these home makers in general were healthy.

The data when statistically analysed indicated a significant correlation between the energy consumed by way of food intake and the energy expended through various physical activities, nutritional status and haemoglobin level in the blood. The energy expenditure in turn was found to have a significant effect on the nutritional status of these women. Attitude was found to be statistically correlated to knowledge on food and health of these home makers.