A study of food intake & nutrient consumption patterns among working women: some observation

Background: Women play a significant role at home, workplace as well as in the society. Every age group of women had different lifestyles and workloads for which they might have different fitness level as well as different health status. In previous years majority of Indian women were illiterate, shy and were in engaged and sometimes restricted to household activities only but now a day’s women is getting higher educating and are being worked in the various areas of the society.
Objectives: The present study was designed to find out the food consumption patterns of working women in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. This study also shows the food Patterns and habits which also affects the health and nutritional status of the working women only.
Methodology: This study was conducted in district Hamirpur. Fifty women have been taken for the study with the help of purposive sampling technique. Data was collected by using semi-structured questionnaire and for the information on the frequency consumption of each food item; food frequency and 24 hours recall dietary method was used.
Results: Seventy four percent of the rural women stated that the nature of diet is vegetarian; the majority of the women thought that the vegetarian food is healthier than the non-vegetarian food. Majority of the women nearly 32% consumed Tea+ Roti+ Vegetable curry as morning diet, and least about 6% includes fruits as diet in breakfast. The majority of the respondents (42 percent) consume rice with vegetable curry in their diet out of total 26 percent of them had outside food like chana samosa, chana kulcha, tikki, etc.
Conclusion: The present study reveals that working women with less economic status had a poor nutrient intake of food in their diet they consumed a negligible amount of fruits, fats, energy intake in their diet.