ICMR-NIN scientists develop simple tool to detect nutrient deficiencies in school children

Researchers at ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), Hyderabad, have developed a simple, context-specific dietary screening tool to assess dietary diversity and identify school-age children (6-10 years) who may be at risk of micronutrient deficiencies.

Micronutrient deficiencies, often referred to as “hidden hunger,” remain a major public health problem in India and other low- and middle-income countries. Deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin A can negatively affect children’s growth, immunity, cognitive development and academic performance, even if there are no visible signs of malnutrition, an official statement said on Thursday.

ICMR Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) recommend consumption of a variety of foods from different food groups across all age groups. Now the ICMR-NIN research team has developed a Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) specifically for Indian children aged 6-10 years; It introduced a 13 food group scoring system and classified commonly consumed foods into context-specific groups based on their micronutrient content.

Unlike traditional nutritional assessments that rely on broad categories such as grains, fruits, and vegetables, DDS further subdivides these groups to capture differences in nutrient profiles. For example, foods rich in vitamin A (including green leafy vegetables, carrots, capsicum, onion stalks, papaya, and mango) were placed in a separate category to increase the sensitivity of micronutrient assessment.

An important feature of the tool is the minimum intake threshold of five grams per food group. This allows the DDS to account for even small but nutritionally significant amounts of foods, such as a few pieces of fruit or vegetables, a small portion of legumes, or milk consumed as part of mixed meals.

This approach makes the tool particularly relevant to Indian dietary patterns, where nutrient-rich foods are often consumed in small quantities and as components of composite meals. DDS was validated by comparing children’s nutritional scores with the adequacy of 10 essential micronutrients and selected biomarkers of nutritional status.

National Institute of Nutrition’s proprietary diet screening tool | Photo Credit: BY EDITION

The results showed a significant correlation between higher DDS scores, overall micronutrient adequacy, and hemoglobin levels. The study found that children who consumed at least five grams of foods from at least 10 of the 13 food groups were significantly more likely to meet at least 70% of their daily micronutrient requirements.

“By transforming complex nutritional assessments into an easy-to-use scoring tool, DDS offers a practical way to identify children at risk of micronutrient deficiencies and support timely nutritional interventions,” said scientist from ICMR-NIN SubbaRao M. Gavaravarapu.

ICMR-NIN Director Bharati Kulkarni said the tool can support school health programmes, ICDS, parents, teachers and nutritionists but further validation is needed in various parts of India before large-scale implementation. The findings were published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, description added.