Omega 3 Fat Status

This study examines how seafood consumption, social changes, and climate change affect the nutrition and well-being of adolescent girls in south-western Bangladesh. Many adolescent girls face poor nutrition, early marriage, and limited access to adequate diets. Adolescent girls have high nutritional needs due to growth and potential early motherhood. Seafood, including fish, shrimp, and prawns, provides important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, but little is known about how its consumption relates to nutritional status in this population. The study will collect new data from adolescent girls in the same area as a 2017 study (IMMANA study), assessing dietary pattern, nutritional status, socioeconomic conditions, and female autonomy. It will also explore how climate change affects household food access and nutrition to provide policies linking food systems and public health.

This study aims to examine how societal and climate changes influence the nutritional status and fish consumption of young women over a 10 year period in southern Bangladesh, and how these factors affect their children's health. A cohort of 240 adolescents first studied in 2017 will be followed to assess changes in their dietary patterns, nutritional status, climate perceptions and mitigation practices, as well as the nutritional status of their children aged 6 months to 5 years. The study in 2017 sampled 60 adolescent girls in each of four rural communities, plus a semi-rural community around a fish processing plant, representing in total 5 communities. Of these 60 X 5 = 300 girls, the current study follows up the individuals in the rural communities representing a cohort of 240. Bangladesh faces high rates of adolescent malnutrition, with many girls married before 18 and suffering from chronic nutrient deficiencies. These issues have long-term impacts on health, productivity, and intergenerational well-being. By linking the fisheries and aquaculture sector, a key to Bangladesh's economy with public health and nutrition, this research aims to guide targeted policies for vulnerable coastal communities.