Time trends in the intrafamily distribution of dietary energy in rural India.

The intrafamily distribution of dietary energy in 5,458 households from seven states in India was assessed from 24-hour dietary recall data collected by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau during 1996-97. The energy consumption, expressed as percentage of recommended dietary intake (%RDI), of preschool children, schoolchildren, and adolescents was compared with that of adult men and women in the same households. Time trends in the intrafamily distribution of dietary energy were assessed by comparing the data with those collected in 1975-80 using the same procedures in the same villages. About one-third of the preschool children had an inadequate intake of energy, even when their adult counterparts had an adequate intake, whereas only about 7% of the preschoolers and their parents were consuming inadequate amounts of energy. The extent of energy inadequacy was much less in adolescents and school-age children than in preschool children. This was true even when the adults in the same households had an adequate energy intake. In 1996-97, there was a significant increase in the proportion of households with preschool children consuming inadequate energy, although both adult men and women were consuming energy-adequate diets as compared with the dietary data collected in the same villages in 1975-80. The results indicate the need to provide effective nutrition education for parents regarding the nutritional needs of their children.