ENERGY AND NUTRIENT INADEQUACIES IN THE DIETS OF LOW-INCOME WOMEN WHOBREAST-FEED

Objective To assess the energy and nutrient intakes of women who are b reast-feeding in relation to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for energy and nutrients during lactation. Design Survey using an int erviewer-administered questionnaire and a 24-hour dietary recall. Subj ects The subjects were 183 women breast-feeding at 3 months postpartum . Al were living in low-income communities in Ontario, Canada, that we re participating in the longitudinal prevention initiative. Better Beg innings, Better Futures. Statistical analyses Mann Whitney ii test to compare energy and nutrient intakes of women with incomes above and be low the Statistics Canada poverty line. Results Median intake of energ y (2,148 kcal) was below the RDA of 2,700 kcal. Compared with the RDAs , intakes of calcium (928 vs 1,200 mg), folate (222 vs 280 mu g), iron (13 vs 15 mg), thiamin (1.4 vs 1.6 mg), vitamin A (846 vs 1,300 retin ol equivalents), and zinc (10 vs 19 mg) were below recommended values for women who are lactating. Although household income for 70% of the women was below the poverty line, differences in energy and nutrient i ntakes according to income group were not statistically significant. A pplications Lactating women are at high risk of energy and nutrient in adequacies. Programs to increase breast-feeding rates, particularly am ong low-income communities, must include strategies to ensure adequate diets during lactation.