Seasonal variation in the dietary adequacy of highland Pwo and Sgaw Karen (Thailand)

The present report describes seasonal variability (postharvest, preharvest, harvest) in the dietary adequacy of highland Karen farmers (38 Pwo and 51 Sgaw mother-weaned child pairs) in Thailand. Both the Pwo and Sgaw exhibit little functionally significant seasonal variation in either energy or protein intakes, although there is significant seasonal variation in other nutrients. Sgaw Karen mothers and their weaned children had significantly higher intakes of energy, protein. and seven nutrients than their Pwo counterparts during all three study seasons. The cause of this difference appears to be related to the better socioeconomic status of the Sgaw, as well as to differences in belief systems that result in a greater utilization of wild resources by the Sgaw. There were no significant differences in energy intakes between mothers and their children in either ethnic group, while children tended to have significantly greater intakes of protein but significantly lower intakes of other nutrients. These differences in dietary patterns appear to be due to differences in dietary density and dietary preferences, rather than to foods being differentially directed towards adults. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.