FOOD FADDISM

ITS DETERMINANTS & HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG RESIDENTS OF TALUKA LATIFABAD, HYDERABAD

Abstract

Background: Food faddism may be labeled as an ice-berg phenomenon
occurring in our population; still there is dearth of research work on this issue; therefore we
conducted a baseline study on this problem of public health importance in order to explore
hidden facts about this practice. Objectives: (1) To assess the food faddism practices among
residents of Taluka Latifabad, Hyderabad. (2). To determine the risk factors associated with food
faddism. (3). To determine the association of food faddism to health status of the participants.
Study design: Cross sectional study. Place of study & duration: A community based study of
two months’ duration (from 1st May-30thJune 2013) conducted in Taluka Latifabad units 4, 7 &
12, district Hyderabad. Methodology: 450 subjects were selected by convenience type of
sampling & were registered for the study. The sample comprised of 200 women of child bearing
age and 250 children of age ≤ 5 years. Results: The frequency of food faddism was found to be
58% i.e. 71.5% among women of child bearing age and 47.2% among children at age ≤ 5years.
Living in joint families & being illiterate were associated factors for practice of food faddism
(p=0.01) & (p=0.04) respectively. Majority (79.31%) of respondents got advice for this practice
from family elders; while 36.78% got such advice from family physicians. Being malnourished &
borne as low birth weight were its major health outcomes among children. Conclusions: Food
faddism intangibly affects women & children’s health; therefore elders of the families as well as
family physicians should be taken on-board to control this dietary malpractice in the
communities.