Study finds adolescent girls in Bangladesh vulnerable to malnutrition

A new study has revealed that adolescent girls in Bangladesh, even in seafood-rich areas, are at risk of nutritional deficiency due to variations in the nutritional value of seafood and different levels of access to it, reports Medical Xpress.

The research was conducted by Professor Dave Little and his team in coastal communities that produce large quantities of farmed seafood.

"Micronutrient deficiency, or hidden hunger, is a massive public health issue leading to high costs to society through people being less healthy and productive than they could be," the professor said.

The study highlights a prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in the target group, despite the high level of sunshine hours annually in Bangladesh.

"The prevalence of a deficiency of Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, occurring in a tropical country may be a surprise to some but suggests how seasonality, human behaviour and access to vitamin-rich seafood can impact on sufficiency of this micronutrient vital for a healthy immune system," Professor Little explained.

The findings could be used by development agencies to introduce targeted interventions to improve nutrition in vulnerable groups such as adolescent girls.

The study, titled "Factors affecting the micronutrient status of adolescent girls living in complex agro aquatic ecological zones of Bangladesh," was published in Scientific Reports.