Consumption Pattern and Determinants of Nutritional Intake among Rural Households of West Bengal, India Sanjit SARKAR 1 1 International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, INDIA E-mail: sanjitiips@gmail.com K e y w o r d s: nutrition, calorie, protein, fat, determinants, consumption A B S T R A C T 1. INTRODUCTION Men need proper and adequate nutrition for growth, development, and to live an active and healthy life. There are wide ranges of nutrients that perform various functions in the body and help us survive in good health. These nutrients include energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. Foods that we include in our diet are the main sources of nutrients in our body. Most food contains almost all the nutrients in various proportions but some food is richer in certain nutrients. Improper diets and cheap quality food lead to a low intake of nutrition. Nutritional intake of people is mainly determined by availability of food, types of food and quality of food [1]. It has been found that food is not accessible adequately to all people, a large segment of the population remaining beyond the sufficient access of food [2]. Many studies pointed to the supply side factors, such as lack of precise and comprehensive food policy and low priority given to food self sufficiency goal, as the reasons of food deprivation by people. Recently, agricultural practices have shifted towards the cash crops production rather than to the production of traditional or subsistence food. Again, the high price of several foods in the recent inflationary situation is another reason, which has made the lower income group and fixed wage earners be able to afford less and less food [1], [2]. The Indian diets mainly include vegetable-based food such as cereals, pulses and vegetables, green leafy and non-leafy vegetables, roots and tubers, etc. [3]. These foods are an important part of diet in the rural areas, as they play a very significant role in food security, health and nutrition status of the rural population in India. Yet, many studies have shown Centre for Research on Settlements and Urbanism Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning J o u r n a l h o m e p a g e: http://jssp.reviste.ubbcluj.ro Adequate intake of nutrition is essential for growth, development and a healthy life. Hence, this study sought to understand the nutrition consumption pattern and their determinants in the case of rural households of West Bengal. The data of a cross-sectional sample survey, involving 485 households from rural West Bengal of India, were analysed. The study collected information regarding household’s consumption quantity of various food items for a thirty-day period, which were used to calculate the three specific nutrition i.e. calories, proteins and fat. Nutritional intake per capita was estimated based on adult male equivalent norms or consumer unit norms. Bivariate and multi-variate analyses were applied in this study. Against the average calorie, protein and fat consumptions of 2,642 kcal, 66.6 gms and 27.8 gms per capita per day, the Muslim households and ST households proved the most deprived in case of all three nutrients. Per capita calorie and protein consumptions are found higher in case of female headed households but fat consumption is higher in case of male headed households. The level of nutritional intake is much lower in case of the agricultural labour households and landless households. Multiple linear regression model shows that household size (p<0.10), availability of livestock (p<0.10), and source of income (p<0.10) are significantly associated with the level of nutritional intake. The lack of resources makes the households deprive in nutritional consumption. Thus, access and proper management of physical, human and economic capitals may improve nutritional intake in the households.