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Socio-Economic Status, Dietary Pattern and Nutritional Status of Female Workers of Fulchara Tea Garden in Moulvibazar District, Bangladesh

Hossain M, Azad F, Rifat MA, Siddique AB and Hasan G

Background: Fulchara tea garden is one of the 163 tea gardens in Bangladesh located in Sreemangal Upazila of Moulvibazar District, Sylhet. The tea laborers have a community of their own apart from the mainstream. People working in different tea gardens all over in Bangladesh have been leading a miserable life because of their low wage and they have to spend their total income only to manage regular foods, all the other needs remain unmet; but there are many other things like dietary habits, nutritional status, reproductive healthcare, hygiene and sanitation practices etc. need more investigations. Moreover, their living condition in respect of the mentioned indicators is far below than the standard level.
Objectives: To observe the socioeconomic characteristics, nutritional status, dietary habits, healthcare seeking behavior and hygiene and sanitation practices of female workers in Fulchara tea garden at Sreemangal, Moulvibazar.
Method: A descriptive study with cross-sectional design which was conducted among 96 purposively selected female workers, who experienced at least one pregnancy, of Fulchara tea garden at Sreemangal, Moulavibazar, Bangladesh. Data was analyzed by SPSS 18.
Result: Study found 68.8% of the female tea garden workers were illiterate, 87.5% had monthly income between BDT 1501-2000. Pulses are the main foods to meet the protein requirement with most of the cases there was no intake (83.3%) of meat in last one week. By BMI, 64.6% women were found underweight. Only 55.2% use sanitary latrine and 35% respondents wash their hands by soap after defecation. During pregnancy 77.1% women had to do heavy works and 85.4% had delivery at their homes.
Conclusion: The socio-economic status, dietary pattern, nutritional status and sanitation coverage is poor among the female workers of Fulchara tea garden at Sreemangal, Moulvibazar.