Prevalence Risk Factors and Management of Osteoporosis Through Ragi Eleusine coracana Based Noodles and Nutrition Education

Abstract

A study was undertaken to know the prevalence, risk factors and management of newlineosteoporosis through ragi based noodles and nutrition education. Prevalence of osteoporosis newlinein Dharwad district was studied using Quantitative Ultrasonography (N=1263). Risk factors newlineand nutritional status of the osteoporotic subjects was assessed (N=306) using a pretested newlinequestionnaire and hospital records. Ragi based noodles was developed and its newlinephysicochemical composition was analysed. Osteoporotic subjects were given nutrition newlineeducation for a period of 3 months and the improvement in the knowledge and practices was newlineassessed through pretested questionnaire. Prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in newlineDharwad district were 33.8 and 41.6 per cent. Major osteoporotic risk factors among men newlinewere regular smoking, chewing habits and low physical exercise and in females, hysterectomy newlinewith the ovary and previous history of fall. The nutrient intake of energy, protein, calcium and newlinemagnesium in both male and female osteoporotic subjects was found to be significantly lower newlinethan the RDA. Highly acceptable noodles (91.85%) were developed by incorporation of ragi newlineflour, wheat semolina and corn flour. The cooked noodles with spice mix was found to be rich newlinein bone-forming minerals (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese) and newlineCa:P ratio was 1.41. The developed noodles (0.041) had low molar ratio of phytate to the newlinecalcium indicating better calcium absorption. One serving of cooked ragi noodles (100g) with newlinedeveloped spice mix (30g) provides 72.06 per cent of bioaccessible calcium. The ragi- based newlinenoodles and spice mix could be stored at 30ºC for 24 months and 40ºC for 12 months. The newlinenutrition education intervention to subjects resulted in significant improvement in knowledge newline(pre-intervention: 11.68±4.36; post-intervention: 22.98±3.81) and practice scores (preintervention: newline9.28±2.85; post-intervention: 13.68±1.02). Prevalence of osteoporosis was high newlinein Dharwad district, nutrition education and use of ragi-based noodles could improve the