Fish and Nutrient Consumption among Women and Pre-school Children in Rainy Season in Cambodia

Touch Bunthang1, So Nam1, Chheng Phen1, Pos Chhantana2, En Net2, and Robert Pomeroy3
 
1 Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia  
2 Fisheries Faculty, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia  
3 University of Connecticut, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Groton, Connecticut, USA

Fish is an integral part of women and preschool children's staple food for their daily consumption. Fish is main source of protein and other key micronutrients. The prevalence of malnutrition among women and preschool children continues to be a major problem in Cambodia. However, data and information on the commonly consumed fish species and the current fish and dietary intake of women and preschoolers in Cambodia are lacking. The study aimed to identify the commonly consumed fish species and Other Aquatic Animals (OAAs); evaluate food and fish consumption; and dietary energy and nutrient intakes among women and preschool children. Stung Treng province (Upstream Mekong River); Prey Veng province (Downstream Mekong River); and Kampong Thom province (Tonle Sap Area) were selected for study sites. The data collection was conducted in rainy season from 2 to 26 June, 2014. The target of the study subjects were women and preschool children (aged 6 months to 5 years old). Three hundred (300) eligible women and 343 eligible preschool-age children were selected by using simple randomized sampling. The 24 hour-food recall questionnaire was used. Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS Statistics Version 20.0 were used for data entry and analysis.  Forty three (43) of fish species and OAAs consumed by women and 38 fish species and OAAs consumed by preschoolers. Fish provides more than three-fourths (80%) to the total animal protein intake of women and pre-school children. Women consumed fish at 145.3 g/p/day and preschoolers at 52.9g/p/day. The total average one day per capita food consumption of women was 861g/p/day, while preschoolers was 489g/p/day. The total average dietary energy intake of women was 1976 kcal/p/day, while preschoolers was 844.9kacl/p/day. Fish, OAAs and its products were the major contributor to energy, fats, carbohydrate, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin A of women's energy and nutrients contributed at 69.7%, 54%, 99%, 74.5%, 44.6%, 83% and 87.4%, respectively. Fish, OAAs and products was also the major contributor to energy, fats, carbohydrate, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin A of pre-school children's energy and nutrients contributed at 72.1%, 60%, 93%, 57.2%, 44.1%, 92.8% and 56.4%, respectively.

Keywords: 24hr-food recall, Food and fish Consumption, Macronutrient intakes, Women, and Preschool Children