The Association between Women's Knowledge about Vitamin A and Who they Contact for Advice about Nutrition and Health in Bangladesh.
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Date
2015
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Abstract
Objectives: This paper measures the level of basic vitamin A knowledge nationally in Bangladesh
and relates this knowledge to the sources of information on which a woman relies. It also reviews
the relationship between knowledge of vitamin A and vitamin A intake in children and women.
Methods: Questions about women's knowledge of vitamin A and the people upon whom they rely
for nutrition and health information was added to the standard questionnaire of the Food Security
and Nutrition Surveillance project (JPGSPH/HKI). This section was administered to 4,512 child
caregivers and/or the person responsible for managing the household kitchen.
Results: Overall Bangladeshi women had an adequate knowledge of vitamin A, both the
importance of the nutrient and its sources in the diet. There was no significant difference between
the knowledge held by child caregivers and other index women in the household, but women who
listed no resource people for nutrition and health information outside their household were
significantly less aware of the benefits and sources of vitamin A than women who were able to
seek advice from other sources.
Conclusions: As almost half of women relied on only family members to learn about nutrition and
health, program implementation requires multiple strategies to include husbands and older family
members in order to reach these women. In addition, more research into communication networks in rural areas is important in order to design effective project implementation strategies.
Funding: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Waid Jillian L, Sifri Zeina, Haselow Nancy. The Association between Women's Knowledge about Vitamin A and Who they Contact for Advice about Nutrition and Health in Bangladesh. European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety. 2015 Special issue; 5(5): 1069-1070.