Prevalence of Dietary Diversity and Its Determinants among Adult Population of Agra District: A Community-based Study

Background: Diversity in the diet is recommended by public health nutritionists for promoting an optimal diet, and it also reflects the three pillars of food security: availability, utilization, and accessibility. In India, there are a very limited number of studies focusing on dietary diversity. Objectives: The present study was conducted to study dietary diversity (through adequate dietary diversity [ADD] score) and its determinants among the adult population (20–59 years) of the Agra district. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2023 and December 2023 in the field practice area attached to urban health training center under the department of community medicine. A validated questionnaire of diet diversity by Food and Agriculture Organization was utilized for the calculation of dietary diversity score (DDS), which also included information about sociodemographic variables. Data Analysis was performed using Epi Info™, version 7.2. and Jamovi software Version 2.4.14. Results: The mean dietary diversity score (DDS) for the study population from the nine food groups was 4.07 ± 0.95. Only 34% of respondents had ADD, i.e., score more than 5. The most common food groups consumed by the participants were oils and fats (100%), followed by starchy staples (99.5%) and other fruits and vegetables (70%). SES, education, and occupation have a significant association with ADD. Conclusion: The findings of this study emphasize the need for targeted public health interventions and policies to improve dietary diversity, particularly among lower socioeconomic groups, to ensure better nutrition and health outcomes.