1. Practical Exercise 3: Use of dietary diversity in
food security and nutrition surveillance
By
Jillian L. Waid
Senior Analysis Officer, HKI
Training on Assessment of Nutritional Status 18-22 December 2011
Date : 21 December 2011,
Venue: FPMU Meeting Room
The Training is organized by the National National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP) . The NFPCSP is jointly
implemented by the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU), Ministry of Food and Disaster Management and Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the financial support of the EU and USAID.

2. Introduction
• Household Dietary 8% Egg
Diversity
Dal
14% 16%
• Individual Dietary Diversity
11%
Dairy
12% 12%
– Women’s dietary diversity
76%
– Children dietary diversity 72%
78%
• Food Consumption score
Neither HH but not woman Both
Practical Exercise 3: Use of dietary diversity in food security and nutrition surveillance – Jillian L. Waid

3. Overview of the Methodology
• Food security assessments have been
standardized
• For dietary assessment no one “correct”
method
– Recent Fanta II document outlines 8 options
• 6 group (restricted and unrestricted)
• 9 groups (restricted and unrestricted)
• 13 groups (restricted and unrestricted)
• 21 groups (restricted and unrestricted)
Practical Exercise 3: Use of dietary diversity in food security and nutrition surveillance – Jillian L. Waid

4. Data Collection
• Limitations:
– Incorrect recall
– Investigator error
• Exercise:
– Get with a partner and collect their DDS for the
previous day
– If there is time remaining, collect HDDS as well
Practical Exercise 3: Use of dietary diversity in food security and nutrition surveillance – Jillian L. Waid

5. Scoring
HDDS WDDS 9-group WDDS 13-group IYCF DD
Q Food Group Q Food Group Q Food Group Q Food Group
1. Cereals 1,2 Starchy staples 1,2 Starchy staples 1,2 Starchy staples
2. White tubers & roots 4 Dark green leafy 4 Dark green leafy
vegetables vegetables
3,4,5 Vegetables 3,6 Vitamin A rich fruits 3 Vitamin A rich 3,4,6 Vitamin A rich fruits &
& vegetables vegetables vegetables
5,7 Other fruits & 6 Vitamin A rich 5,7 Other fruits &
vegetables fruits vegetables
5 Other vegetables
6,7 Fruits 7 Other fruits
8,9 Meat 8 Organ meat 8 Organ meat
11 Fish and other sea 9,11 Meat and fish 9,11 Meat and fish 8,9,11 Flesh foods
food
10 Egg 10 Egg 10 Egg 10 Egg
12 Legumes, nuts & seeds 12 Legumes, nuts & 12 Legumes, nuts & 12 Legumes, nuts & seeds
seeds seeds
13 Dairy 13 Dairy 13 Dairy 13 Dairy
14 Oils & fats
15 Sweets
16 Condiments &
Practical Exercise 3: Use of dietary diversity in food security and nutrition surveillance – Jillian L. Waid
beverages

6. Methods for Data Analysis
• Cut-offs: Not universally defined
– FANTA 2: less than 5 (out of 9 or 13 groups)
inadequate
• Programmatically:
– Goal to raise the mean overall to the mean of the
top third of respondents