Fish availability mapping and food-based recommendations to promote an adequate vitamin D intake among pregnant women in East Lombok, Indonesia

Abstract:
Pregnant women are at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency due to increased nutritional requirements and limited dietary sources. Fish is the major source of vitamin D, but its availability varies by region. This study aims to assess the availability of vitamin D-rich fish and develop food-based recommendations (FBRs) for pregnant women in East Lombok, Indonesia. This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in East Lombok, Indonesia, which is part of Action Against Stunting cohort of pregnant women. Twenty-five village markets in the area were scored based on availability of vitamin D-rich fish and number of fish sellers in each market and were categorized into high availability (HD) for the highest quartile and low availability (LD) for the lowest quartile. QGIS software was used to identify each of respondents' houses using 2.4km buffer zones to either HD or LD markets. Dietary intake data was collected from 24-hour dietary recalls and linear programming (LP) analysis using Optifood was used to identify problem nutrient and dietary inadequacy. No significant difference in vitamin D intake was found between HD and LD areas (p=0.633). While both groups' FBRs ensure adequacy of iron, zinc, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12, calcium remain as dietary inadequacy in the LD group, suggesting that availability play a role in ensuring dietary adequacy. Future studies to develop nutrient-dense foods and improved fish availability mapping which consider non-static position of market (mobile vendor) are recommended.