Nutrition and Parasite Survey of Rural Fertile Women of the Family Health Project Area in Korea

A survey was conducted from January 23 to 31 and February 14 to 18, 1981, in Whaseounggun, Kyunggj-do, to investigate the dietary and nutritionary status, and prevalence of parasitic infection of the fertile women, in an attempt to provide an integrative perspective on the rural family health programmes. The results are summarised as follows; The total number of fertile women, randomly selected, was 197 ; 21 women were in the latter half of pregnancy; 38 women, lactating, the remaning, non-pregnant. Average age of the subjects was 31.4 years; average number of children, 2.7; average number of abortion, 0.9; average family number in home, 5.5. The families had a mean income of \ 2,470,000 per fear. The majority, 83.8% of the families, were engaged in farming. 61.4% of the subjects had completed schooling 6 years or less. The mean energy intake of the lactating women was 73.4% of the recommended allowance, while that of non-pregnant and pregnant women reached 86.9 to 88.6% of the recommendation. In the average diet of the subjects, carbohydrates contribute 74.6 to 81.7% of the total energy intake; protein 11.3 to 11.9%; fat 7.0 to 13.9%. Protein intake of non-pregnant, pregnant, and lactating women met 72.6%, 60.8%, and 65.2% of allowance, respectively; and those proteins were mainly derived from vegetable sources. The subjects ingested less than one-half of the allowances for iron, calcium, vitamin A, and riboflabin ; in contrast, thiamin and ascorbic acid levels were adequate or fairly acceptable. There were significant correlations of meal balance and food diversity scores to the mean intake levels of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, and riboflavin. Only 10% of the pregnant women and 11.4% of non-pregnant and lactating women reached the acceptable level of hemoglobin. Positive prevalence of parasitic infection was found among about one-third of the subjects, 30.3% of women. Hematologic findings had no significant correlation to parasitic infection.