Objective: To analyze energy and nutrient consumption in Mexican women from 12 to 49 years of age.
Material and methods: Dietetic information was gathered by a 24 h recall from 9,101 women who participated in the National Nutrition Survey conducted in 1988. These data were compared with sociodemographic and physiologic characteristics. Nutrient consumption was compared with the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA). Variance analysis and t-test were used to evaluate group differences.
Results: Mean energy consumption was 1,721 kcal per day. The diet consisted of 15% protein, 60% carbohydrates and 25% fat. The proportion of women with dietary intakes lower than 50% of the RDA was 70% for vitamin A, 75% for vitamin B6, 56% for vitamin C, 33% for vitamin B12, 69% for folate, 33% for calcium and 22% for iron.
Conclusion: Results show important deficiencies in the diet, predominantly in pregnant and lactating women, in women from low socioeconomic levels and in rural and indigenous women of south of the Mexican republic.