A new nutrient index for measuring nutritional well-being of Indian states

A composite nutrient index was computed for ten states of India by using principal component analysis based on the average intake of eight nutrients, namely protein, calories, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C. The new nutrient index is significant from a nutritional point of view in a community or a country. Two factors from the list of eight variables and the matrix of factor loadings after making orthogonal rotation have been extracted and named as the Energy Factor and the Vitamin Factor. The PQLI was computed for ten Indian States and a rank correlation of the nutrient index and PQLI was computed. The rank correlation was not significant. A negative significant regression coefficient of the value of food consumption with the nutrient index was found in the regression equation. Further statistical analysis of the energy factor with independent variables reconfirmed a very high negative relationship between the GINI Coefficient and the degree of literacy. The higher the literacy levels the lower were the intake of nutrients.