Divergence and agreement on nutrient intake between the two food composition tables of Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, two food composition tables (FCTs) were published over two consecutive years, in 2012 and in 2013. When different databases are used to calculate nutrient intakes, assessment of divergence and agreements is required. This study aimed to compare the differences in nutrient intakes, to assess the similarities in nutrient intakes between the two FCTs, and to explore the factors that cause the difference in nutrient intakes, if any. A total sample of 40 households was taken from the Household Income Expenditure Survey of 2010. Adult male equivalent (AME) units were used to estimate weighted average intake. Weighted k statistics were used to assess agreements between the two FCTs. Although median intake of energy and energy-yielding nutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates) were found statistically significant between the two databases, the differences were not large enough to have practical significance. Excellent agreements were found in energy and carbohydrates with good for fats and fair for protein. However, statistically significant median percent differences were seen in beta carotene (441%), vitamin B6 (153%), and folate (129%), vitamin C (106%), zinc (101%), and iron (41%) intakes. For thiamin, iron, calcium, and phosphorous, more than 50% of the subjects were found in the same quintile, whereas nine out of 15 vitamins and minerals were misclassified into the opposite quintiles (≥10%). Fair agreements were found for most of the micronutrients. Variations in analytical methods and sources of nutrient information were the main contributing factors for actual differences. FCT data should be interpreted with caution, especially for micronutrients.