2.2. Dietary Assessment
NIN, Diabetes
DIABETES
Dietary intake was assessed using the 24-h recall method at each visit by a trained dietitian. In each 24-h dietary recall, the respondent was asked to remember and report all foods and beverages consumed in the preceding 24 h or in the preceding day, and the data was recorded using standard cups and measures. The interview conducted was structured, with specific probes, to help the respondent remember all the foods and beverages consumed throughout the day. Data on food and nutrient intake was analysed at each visit by the trained dietitian at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai. Nutrient adequacy was assessed for nine nutrients (energy, protein, carbohydrate (CHO), total fat, iron, calcium, vitamin A, thiamine, and Vitamin C). The nutrient adequacy for each nutrient was computed as a percent of the age-specific requirement for that nutrient, i.e., using the Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) given by ICMR–NIN [The intakes of various food groups were computed using the 24-h recall method at each visit. Food intake adequacy was assessed for 8 food groups, viz., (1) milk and its products, (2) pulses, legumes and millets, (3) meat, fish, eggs, and poultry, (4) fruits and vegetables, (5) tubers, (6) cereals, (7) fats, nuts, and oilseeds, and (8) added sugars. Food intake adequacy for each food group was calculated as a percentage of the food intake required for a recommended balanced diet for children in the 1–3-year and 4–6-year groups as per ICMR–NIN [Data was also used to calculate Dietary Diversity Scores at each visit. Individual Dietary Diversity is a qualitative measure of food consumption that can be used as a proxy for the nutrient adequacy of an individual’s diet. Dietary Diversity Scores have been validated for various age/gender groups as proxy measures for both the macronutrient as well as the micronutrient adequacies of diets [