ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

(Department of Environmental Design, Health and Nutritional Sciences)

Nutritional Assessment-I (3647)

M.Sc. PUBLIC NUTRITION

Supplementary Material

Spring, 2021

The course will provide hands-on experience in standards for nutrient intake,
methods for measuring diet and use of anthropometric techniques for measuring
the nutritional status of individuals and populations.

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 ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD
(Department of Environmental Design, Health and Nutritional Sciences)

Course: Nutritional Assessment-I (3647) Semester: Spring, 2021

Level: M.Sc. Credit Hours: 4(3+1)

CONTENT LIST

This study pack includes the following items:

1. Course Book
2. Course Outline Units (1-9)
3. Tutor Guide
4. Student Guide
5. Assignments (1&2)
6. Assignment forms (6 forms)
7. Schedule for lectures, workshops and submitting the assignment

If any of the above mentioned material is missing from your pack, please contact
at the following address:

Mailing Officer
Services & Operations Block No.28
Allama Iqbal Open University H-8 Islamabad
Phone No. 051-9057611-12

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 COURSE OUTLINE
NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT- I (3647)
Level: M.Sc. Credit Hours: 4(3+1)

UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Importance of Good Nutrition for Health
1.2 Nutritional Screening & Assessment
1.3 Nutritional Assessment Methods
1.4 Importance of Nutrition Assessment

UNIT 2: NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT IN NUTRITION CARE PROCESS

2.1 The Nutrition Care Process Model

2.2 Nutritional Assessment in the Nutrition Care Process
2.3 Standardized Terminology in Nutritional Assessment
2.4 Nutrition Diagnosis and intervention in the Nutrition Care Process
2.5 Nutritional Monitoring and Evaluation in the Nutrition Care
Process

UNIT 3: STANDARDS FOR NUTRIENT INTAKE

3.1 Dietary Standards and Dietary Allowance

3.2 Observational Standards
3.3 Beginnings of Scientifically Based Dietary Standards
3.4 Uses of the DRIs
3.5 Nutrient Density and profiling

UNIT 4: INDICES OF DIET QUALITY

4.1 Diet Quality and healthy eating Index

4.2 Dietary Guidelines
4.3 Nutrition Labeling of Food
4.4 Food Guides & Food Exchange System

UNIT 5: MEASURING DIET

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Reasons for Measuring Diet
5.3 Approaches to Measuring Diet

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UNIT 6: TECHNIQUES IN MEASURING DIET

6.1 Food Frequency Questionnaires and 24- hour recall

6.2 Food Records and Diet history
6.3 Issues in Dietary Measurement
6.4 Estimating Portion Size

UNIT 7: COMPUTERIZED DIETARY ANALYSIS SYSTEMS

7.1 Introduction
7.2 Factors affecting Computerized Dietary Analysis System
7.3 Computerized Dietary Analysis Systems
7.4 Dietary Analysis on the Internet

UNIT 8: ANTHROPOMETRY-I

8.1 Introduction to Anthropometry

8.2 Measuring Length, Stature, and Head Circumference
8.3 CDC Growth Charts
8.4 Height-Weight Indices

Unit 9: ANTHROPOMETRY – II

9.1 Skinfold Measurement

9.2 Densitometry
9.3 Total Body Water
9.4 Electrical Conductance & Infrared Interactance

Recommended Books:

1. Robert Lee David Nieman (2013), Nutritional Assessment (6th Ed),

McGraw-Hill Education.
2. Rosalind S. Gibson (2005), Principles of Nutritional Assessment (2nd
Ed), Oxford University Press, New-York

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 STUDENT GUIDE

Dear student!
We welcome you to the M.Sc. Public Nutrition course entitled “Nutritional
Assessment-I”. This course is the part of the second semester of your M.Sc.
program. For introduction to the course please go through the guidelines provided
here for successful completion.
In order to understand the course content, it is vital to know about its objectives
properly.
Let’s go through its objectives first.

Course Objectives
The objectives of this course are:
1. To acquaint the student with current knowledge in nutritional assessment.
2. To provide hands-on training in selected assessment techniques.

Part Time Tutors

Students have been allocated a part time tutor. The name and address of the tutor
will be provided to you. The tutor will help and guide you in studying the books
and conducting activities related to study units. You are expected to take full
advantage of the tutor’s knowledge and experience. These tutors are also
responsible for marking your assignments.

Make all efforts to complete your written assignments according to the prescribed
schedule and try your level best to attend all the study sessions according to the
timetable provided to you.

Assignments
The course includes two assignments, which are compulsory for successful
completion of the whole course. Each assignment is of 100 marks and students
obtaining 40 percent marks will be declared pass.

Assignment No. 1 is theory based and must reach your assigned tutor before the
due date. The schedule of submitting the assignment is provided separately. The
tutor will send the marked assignment back to the students within 15 days, if you
do not receive the marked assignment after 15 days please contact your tutor or
your regional office of the Allama Iqbal Open University.

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Assignment No. 2 is based on dietary assessment of dietary data and analysis to
compile a comprehensive report and it will be submitted to concerned tutor.
Please go through the detailed instructions enclosed with the assignment.

Note: Do not forget to attach the prescribed forms for evaluation along with
each completed assignment.

Method of Study
Study period of 16 weeks has been allocated for studying this course through
allocated tutor’s guidance whereas 17th and 18th weeks are kept for general
assessment and final examination.

Units Assignments Study period

1-2 4 weeks
3-6 4 weeks
7 Assignment 1 2 weeks
8-9 2 weeks
Revision Assignment 2 4 weeks
Preparation for examination 2 weeks

You are expected to spend four weeks on studying first two units, this will help to
improve your reading speed and get familiar with the contents of the units. The
next three units 3 to 6 will become easier for you and you will be able to study
them in comparatively less time. You can spend four weeks on studying these
four units, during the ninth week you can study the unit 7 and during the tenth
week you must complete your first assignment and dispatch it to your tutor.

Unit 8 to 9 can be studied during 11th and 12th week respectively and you can
complete your second assignment along with the revision of your book during the
weeks 13-16. The last two weeks will be kept for examination and its preparation.

Course workshop
Workshop will be arranged for three days for each course. Schedule of the
workshop and venue will be sent to the students during the study period.
Workshop will cover some of the lectures of the specialist on important topics.
The tutor will provide guidance for the workshop. Attendance in workshop is
compulsory for the students.

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Final Examination
At the end of the semester there will be a final examination, all the students will
be expected to take this examination in the examination halls especially
established for this purpose.

For any queries, you can write to the program/course coordinator. Suggestions for
improvement will also be welcomed.

We wish you all the best.

Dr. Mahpara Safdar

Assistant Professor
Program/Course Coordinator
Department of Environmental Design,
Health and Nutritional Sciences,
Allama Iqbal Open University,
H-8, Islamabad
Phone No. 051-9057748

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 TUTOR GUIDE
Dear tutor!

Students enrolled in M.Sc. Public Nutrition, offered through the blended learning
system, belong to a number of professions and have a variety of educational
backgrounds and experience.

These students have very limited contact with their course mates and the part time
tutors. It is therefore important to keep in mind that some of the students have had
no link with education during the past few years after completing their formal
education therefore they might lack confidence. Secondly these students are
involved in studying during their spare time, probably after office hours. You are
therefore requested to guide and help the students while keeping these issues in
mind. Some students may need help in developing professional attitudes as well
as understanding the practical implications of the knowledge and effective
strategies to adopt methods of measuring diet and anthropometric techniques for
measuring the nutritional status of individuals and populations

Study Center
The main purpose of establishing the study center for blended learning students is
to provide help and guidance for the difficulties faced by the students while
studying at home. The study centers have been established in local institutions
(AIOU Regional Campus Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Lahore, and
Main Campus Islamabad). During the tutorials it is required to provide guidance
to the students to sort out their problems
.
Assignments
In the blended learning system, studying the course units has its own importance
but assignments and workshops are the major source of link between tutor and the
student. Therefore, it is important to offer your comments through these
assignments. Express your views in such a way that the student is not discouraged
or feels depress after going through your comments.

You are also expected to guide on issues like methods of solving assignments,
effective methods of studying and methods to improve study habits and working
hard.

It is anticipated that the student will submit their assignments in time according to
the prescribed schedule.
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You are therefore requested to mark the assignments within 15 days and return
to the student with detailed comments within the scheduled dates.

Marking guides are provided to you. You are expected to follow the instructions
and make full use of these guides while marking the assignments. The students
are expected to avoid giving unnecessary details and try to be brief and
comprehensive. While marking the assignments the tutor has to assess whether
the students have followed the instructions provided to them or not.

The second assignment is practical in nature. Students will collect dietary intake
data and will analyze and interpret it by using food composition tables. The
compiled report will be presented during workshop. Students will submit to you
for evaluation and marking.

Workshop
A three days’ workshop will be arranged for the students for each course in their
respective study center. You will be intimated before time, as your presence in the
workshop is necessary.
 During the workshop, the experts will be delivering lectures to the students in
the main areas of the subject.
 Secondly, the students would be conducting practical for anthropometric
assessment and submitting their second assignment and you are required to
mark the assignments.

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 ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD
(Department of Environmental Design, Health and Nutritional Sciences)

WARNING
1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING THE
ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD OF
DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE.
2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT(S) BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM
OTHER(S) AS ONE'S OWN, WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN ‘‘ALOU
PLAGIARISM POLICY’’.
Course: Nutritional Assessment-I (3647) Semester: Spring, 2021
Level: Post Graduate/M.Sc. Total Marks: 100
Credit Hours: 4(3+1) Pass Marks: 40
ASSIGNMENT No. 1
Q. 1 Provide summary of recently published Pakistani dietary guidelines. (15)

Q. 2 What was the initiative to develop Dietary Reference Intakes. Explain in detail? (15)

Q. 3 How Diet Quality Index can be used to assess the overall diet quality of groups and
to evaluate risk for chronic disease related to dietary pattern? Explain. (15)

Q. 4 Discuss dietary reference values and how these help the consumer for planning
healthy diets? (15)

Q. 5 How food guide pyramid conveys the concepts of variety, proportionality and
moderation? Explain and support your answer with graphics. (10)

Q. 6 Explain why measuring diet is important in assessing nutritional status and in

nutritional epidemiology? (15)

Q. 7 Describe the role of nutritional monitoring and evaluation in the Nutrition Care
Process. (15)

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 ASSIGNMENT No. 2
Total Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 40

This assignment has been designed to develop your skills for assessment of
dietary data using communication skills and 24 hour recall Questionnaire and also
to train you for analysis of dietary data by using food composition tables (FCT).
Pakistani food composition tables can be downloaded from AIOU website
http://www.aiou.edu.pk. Search the important links at home page and click more
links option. Click the text vision for healthier Pakistan and download the
Pakistani food composition tables and use it for analysis of dietary data into
nutrients.

Guidelines for Completion of the 2nd Assignment

1. Gather dietary data of 15 individuals by using 24 hour recall Questionnaire
and analyse the data by using FCT and interpret the results.
You are supposed to present and discuss this assignment in the presence of
tutor concerned and the course mates in the workshop, therefore power point
presentations, posters or any other illustrative material for effective
presentation will be encouraged.
2. Major finding of the report will be presented by each student during
workshop. The two components of the report i.e. written and oral will be
evaluated by the tutor and accumulative marks will be awarded out of 100.
3. Make two copies of your report & submit these to:
a.One to the tutor at department of Environmental Design, Health and
Nutritional Sciences AIOU for evaluation and record.
b. One for your own reference

Note: Don’t forget to attach three evaluation forms at the time of submission of
the report to your tutor concerned.

4. For any further guidance, you may contact your tutor or the department of
Environmental Design, Health and Nutritional Sciences AIOU, Islamabad.

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 MARKING GUIDE

It is anticipated that the tutors mark the assignments carefully and follow the
similar marking standard for all the students.

Assignment One
For the theory based assignments you are requested to follow the marks division
as indicated on the assignment as per marks distribution for each question and
making a total of 100 marks.

Assignment Two
For the second assignment i.e. applied in nature, the total 100 marks are
distributed in two types as under:

Report based applied assignment (part 1) ...................... 70 Marks

Presentation/ discussion/ Q/A (part 2) ............................ 30 Marks

You are expected to stick to the guidelines provided to maintain the

standardization and uniformity.

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