DIETARY INTAKES, KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLE ABOUT THE DISEASES AND NUTRITIONAL DISORDERS IN 2 DESERT DISTRICTS OF RAJASTHAN

A comprehensive health survey was initiated in 1986, in two desert dis tricts of Rajasthan covering 512 households from 19 villages and 438 h ouseholds from 15 villages from Jodhpur and Bikaner districts respecti vely. The results show that more than 30 % of the families have to tra vel more than 10 km to avail any health facilities. More than 50 % of the respondents had the knowledge of fever, diarrhoea, worm infestatio n, measles, malaria and guinea worm. However, their knowledge about nu tritional disorders was poor in both the districts. The diets were pre dominantly based on bajra and wheat. The consumption of pulses, vegeta bles, fats and oil, sugar and other foods were far from satisfactory a nd were below 30 g. The nutrients intake (except protein) were inadequ ate in all the age goups but the deficits of nutrients were observed t o be more pronounced among childern below 12 years.