2003 facts_and_figures_6th National Nutrition Survey

FOREWORD
The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science

and Technology (FNRI-DOST), as the primary R&D institution of government that
is mandated to define and update the Philippine food and nutrition situation
through the National Nutrition Surveys, published a handbook on Philippine Facts
and Figures in 2001 and a supplement handbook in 2002. These were well
received by and proved to be useful to various organizations and institutions
engaged in nutrition and nutrition-related policy and program development,
instruction and research, nutrition promotion, and food processing, among
others.
In 2003, after completing another round of the National Nutrition Survey

that sought to update the nutritional status of Filipinos of all ages and physiologic
state, the FNRI-DOST once again deemed it useful to release this handbook on
the 2003 Philippine Nutrition Facts and Figures. This consists of facts and
figures on food consumption and nutrient intake in Philippine households and
among 0 – 5 years old children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, and the
nutritional status of population groups using anthropometric, biochemical, clinical
indicators in easy-to-read tables, graphs and narratives.
Because the 2003 National Nutrition Survey was the first major survey of
the new millennium, the food and nutrition information provided herewith are
useful benchmarks by which to gauge the country’s progress towards achieving
the Millennium Development Goals, including, among others, the halving of
undernutrition among children, and of hunger among Filipinos. The data also
provides indications of the dietary changes that have evolved over time, and the
implications with regard to the nutrition-related risk factors of non-communicable
diseases.
We hope that the 2003 Philippine Nutrition Facts and Figures will be
used extensively by the targeted audiences, to inform, to provoke action and to
contribute to the ultimate objective of improving the quality of life of every Filipino.
MARIO V. CAPANZANA, Ph.D.

Director
Food and Nutrition Research institute
Department of Science and Technology
PHILIPPINE FACTS AND FIGURES 2003 iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Grateful acknowledgments and thanks are due to the following:
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for providing financial assistance
in the conduct of the anthropometric phase of the 6th National Nutrition
Survey (NNS);
The Micronutrient Operational Strategies and Technologies (MOST) of the United

States Assistance for International Development (USAID) for financial
assistance in the conduct of the dietary survey of children, pregnant and
lactating women and baseline study on awareness and usage of fortified
foods;
The Honorable Senator Ramon Magsaysay, for funding support and technical
assistance provided through the Philippine Council for Health Research
and Development, Department of Science and Technology (PCHRD-
DOST);
The Department of Science and Technology–Grants-in-Aid (DOST-GIA) Program

for funding and technical assistance in the conduct of the biochemical
th
phase of the 6 NNS;
The Department of Health (DOH), National Center for Disease, Prevention and
Control (NCDPC), Degenerative Office for funding support in the conduct
of the National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHeS 2003);
The 14 medical societies namely, Philippine Lipid Society (PLS), Philippine

Society of Hypertension (PSH), Philippine Diabetes Association (PDA),
Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS),
Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity
(PASOO), Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN), Philippine Society of
Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM), Osteoporosis Society of the
Philippines Foundation Inc. (OSPFI), Philippine Neurological Association
(PNA), Philippine Rheumatology Association (PRA), Philippine College
of Physicians (PCA), Philippine Society of Gastroenterology (PSG), and
Philippine Society of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology (PSAAI), for
financial support in the conduct of the NNHeS 2003;
The Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) for financial assistance in the

determination of Zinc levels;
Dr. Phil Harvey of the MOST-USAID for technical advice during the planning of
the Survey, and Mr. Hector C. Maglalang of MOST-USAID, Philippines
for facilitating MOST-USAID’s funding and technical support to the
Project;
iv Acknowledgments
Ms. Lina B. Laigo, Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Executive Director
and Early Childhood Development (ECD)-Research & Development
(R&D) National Screening Committee Chairperson, and members of the
ECD-R&D National Screening Committee, for support to the Project;
Mr. Segfredo R. Serrano, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Agriculture

(DA), Mr. William C. Medrano, Director of the Bureau of Agricultural
Research (BAR), Ms. Elsa M. Bayani, Executive Director and Ms. Maria-
Bernardita T. Flores, Deputy Executive Director of the National Nutrition
Council (NNC) for facilitating DA support for the Project;
Dr. Arturo Y. Pacificador, Jr., Statistical Consultant, for the technical guidance in
sampling design;
Dr. Corazon VC. Barba and Dr. Aida R. Aguinaldo, former FNRI Director and
Deputy Director, respectively for overall leadership and guidance in the
conduct of the Project;
Dr. Dante D. Morales, Overall Chair of the Multi-Sectoral Force and Dr. Antonio
L. Dans, Technical Committee Chair of the NNHeS for coordinating and
facilitating support from the Philippine medical societies;
The National Statistics Office (NSO) for technical assistance by providing the
sampling frame of barangays and household listings;
Local Government Unit (LGU), Department of Interior and Local Government

(DILG) and their local executives, the Governors and Mayors, and
particularly the 800 Barangay Captains and their constituents, for their
direct assistance;
The DOST Regional Directors, Provincial Science and Technology Officers

(PSTOs), Regional Nutrition Program Coordinators (RNPCs) and the
Provincial and Municipal Action Officers (PNAOs and MNAOs), for their
invaluable assistance during the field survey operations;
All the 5,546 households and their 25,882 members for their indispensable
participation and utmost cooperation in the survey; and
All technical and non-technical FNRI staff as well as the local researchers and
local survey aides who were actively involved in the survey and many
more that are numerous to mention, who in one way or another,
th
dedicatedly shared their time and helping hands in the conduct of the 6
NNS.
FACTS AND FIGURES v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Foreword ………………………………………………………………. … i
Acknowledgments………………………………………………………… iii
List of Abbreviations ……………………………………………………….. viii
List of Tables ……………………………………………………………….. ix
List of Figures ………………………………………………………………. xiii
The 6th National Nutrition Survey 1
Part I: Dietary Facts and Figures 3
Dietary Intake of Filipino Households 5
1. At the National Level ………………………………………….. 5
1.1 Food Consumption …………………………..…………….. 5

1.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake….. …………………………….. 8
1.3 Cost on One-Day Food Intake…………………………….. 12
1.4 Food Wastage ……………….. …………………………….. 13
1.5 Trends in Food Consumption: 1978 – 2003 ……………… 16
1.5.1 Food Consumption ………………………………… 16
1.5.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake…….. ………………... 19
2. At the Regional Level …………………………………………. 20
2.1 Food Consumption ……………………………………..…… 20

2.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake…… …………………………... 24
Dietary Intake of Filipino Preschool-age Children, Pregnant &

Lactating Women ………………………………………………… 28
1. At the National Level …………………………………………… 28
1.1 Preschool-age Children, 6 Months – 5 Years Old …….. 28

1.1.1 Food Consumption ………………….…………… 28
1.1.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake………….………….. 31
1.2 Pregnant Women 33
1.2.1 Food Consumption ……………………….………. 33
1.2.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake…. ……..….………… 34
vi Contents
Page
1.3 Lactating Mothers 35

1.3.1 Food Consumption 35
1.3.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake 36
Awareness and Usage of Fortified Foods and Iodized Salt ……. 37
1. At the National Level 37
1.1 Fortified Foods ……………………………………………….. 37

1.2 Iodized Salt …………………………………………………… 39
Part II: Anthropometric Facts and Figures 41
1.1 Preschool-age Children (0–5 years old) …………….......... 45

1.2 School-age Children (6–10 years old) …………………... 47
1.3 Trends in the Nutritional Status of Children 0-10 Years 49
Old………………………..……………………………….
1.4 Adolescents (11–-19 years old) ………………………….. 53
1.5 Trends in the Nutritional Status of Adolescents ………….. 54
1.6 Adults (20 years old and over) …………………………...… 56
1.7 Trends in the Nutritional Status of Adults ………………….. 59
1.8 Pregnant Women …………………………………….……. 60
1.9 Lactating Women …………………………………….……. 60
1.10 Trends in the Prevalence of Malnutrition Among
Pregnant and Lactating Women ……………………….. 61
2. At the Regional Level ……………………………… 63
2.1 Preschool-age Children, 0 – 5 Years Old 63

2.2 School-age Children, 6-10 Years Old 64
Part III: Biochemical Facts and Figures 67
1.1 Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) …………………………….. 71

1.2 Trends in the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia . ….. 72
1.3 Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) ……….……………………….. 74
FACTS AND FIGURES vii
Page
1.4 Trends in the Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency … 75

1.5 Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) ……………………….. 77
1.6 Comparison in the Prevalence of Iodine Deficiency
Disorder, 1998 and 2003 …………………………. 78
1.7 Zinc Deficiency…………………………………………… 80
Part IV: Clinical Facts and Figures 83
National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHes 2003-2004) .. 83
Nutrition-Related Risk Factors to Non-Communicable

Diseases Among Filipino Adults 85
1. At the National Level ………………………………………. 86
1.1 Waist Circumference ………………… 86

1.2 Waist-Hip Ratio ……………………. 87
1.3 Lipid and Glucose Profile 90
1.3.1 Total Cholesterol ………………………… 90
1.3.2 Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDL-c) 92
……
1.3.3 High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL-c) … 93
1.3.4 Triglycerides ………………… 94
1.3.5 Glucose ……………………… 95
1.4 Hypertension ………………………………... 97
1.5 Atherosclerotic Diseases……… 99
1.5.1 Coronary Arterial Disease 99
1.5.2 Stroke 100
1.5.3 Peripheral Arterial Diseases 101
Other Facts and Figures 103
References ……………………………………………………………... 111
Research Staff …………………………………………………………. 115
viii Abbreviations
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AP As Purchased
ARMM Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao
BMI Body Mass Index
BP Blood Pressure
c Cholesterol
CAR Cordillera Autonomous Region
CED Chronic Energy Deficiency
CVD Cardiovascular Disease
EP Edible Portion
FCS Food Consumption Survey
FNRI Food and Nutrition Research Institute
g Gram
Hb Hemoglobin
HDL High-density Lipoprotein
IDA Iron Deficiency Anemia
IDD Iodine Deficiency Disorder
kcal Kilocalorie
kg Kilogram
LDL Low-density Lipoprotein
mg Milligram
MIMAROPA Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan
NCHS National Center for Health Statistics
NCR National Capital Region
NNS National Nutrition Survey
NSO National Statistics Office
PEM Protein Energy Malnutrition
PPS Philippine Pediatric Society
RE Retinol Equivalent
SOCCSKSARGEN South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat,
Sarangani and General Santos City
SD Standard Deviation
UIE Urinary Iodine Excretion
VAD Vitamin A Deficiency
WC Waist Circumference
WHR Waist-hip Ratio
FACTS AND FIGURES ix
LIST OF TABLES
Table No. Page
1 Mean one-day per capita food consumption and percent of

food to total intake: Philippines, 2003 7
2 Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient intake:
Philippines, 2003 8
3 Proportion of households with per capita energy and nutrient
intake meeting (>) and not meeting (<) Recommended Energy
and Nutrient Intake (RENI): Philippines, 2003 9
4 Percentage contribution of food group/sub-group to energy
and nutrient intake: Philippines, 2003 10
5 Mean one-day per capita food wastage and percentage of
food available for consumption: Philippines, 2003 14
6 Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient losses on food
wastage: Philippines, 2003 15
7 Mean one-day per capita food consumption: Philippines,
1978-2003 17
8 Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient intake:
Philippines, 1978-2003 20
9 Mean one-day per capita food consumption by region:
Philippines, 2003 21
10 Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient intake and
percent adequacy by region: Philippines, 2003 25
11 Mean one-day food consumption and percent of total food
intake of 6-month to 5 year-old children: Philippines, 2003 29
12 Mean one-day food consumption of 6-month to 5 year-old
children by age group: Philippines, 2003 30
13 Mean one-day and percent adequacy of energy and nutrient
intake of 6-month to 5 year-old children by age group:
Philippines, 2003 32
14 Mean one-day food consumption and percent of total food 33
intake of pregnant women: Philippines, 2003
15 Mean one-day food consumption and percent of total food
intake of lactating mothers: Philippines, 2003 35
16 Percentage of households who know and consume SPS and
FF-products: Philippines, 2003 37
17 Ten most commonly consumed SPS-products among sample
households by frequency of consumption: Philippines, 2003 38
18 Results of iodized salt survey: Philippines, 2003 39
x List of Tables
Table No. Page

19 Cut-off points used in classifying the children based on the
NCHS/WHO Reference Standards for Growth of weight and
height of children, 0–10 years old……………………………. 43
20 Cut-off points in classifying nutritional status of subjects, 11-
19 years old based on BMI-for-age………………………….. 44
21 Cut-off points in classifying nutritional status of subjects, 20
years and over based on BMI…………………………………. 44
22 Cut-off points in classifying nutritional status of pregnant
women based on weight-for-height………………………….. 44
23 Cut-off points used in classifying nutritional status of
lactating mothers based on BMI for adults and BMI-for-age
for adolescents……………………………………………….. 44
24 Percentage distribution of 0–5 year-old children by
nutritional status: Philippines, 2003……………………….. 45
25 Percentage distribution of 0–5 year-old children by single
age group and by nutritional status based on weight-for-age
and height-for-age: Philippines, 2003……………………… 46
26 Percentage distribution of 6–10 year-old children by
nutritional status: Philippines, 2003……………………….. 47
27 Percentage distribution of 6-10 year-old children, by single
age group and by nutritional status based on weight-for-age
and height-for-age: Philippines, 2003…………………….. 48
28 Trends in the nutritional status of 0–5 year-old children:
Philippines, 1998, 2001 and 2003………………………… 50
29 Comparison in the prevalence of underweight and
underheight among 6–10 year-old children: Philippines,
1998, 2001 and 2003………………………………………. 51
30 Mean weight and height of adolescents, 11–19 years old, by
age group and by gender: Philippines, 2003……………. 53
31 Percentage distribution of adolescents by gender, age and
nutritional status using BMI classification: Philippines, 2003 54
32 Trends in the prevalence of underweight and overweight
among adolescents: Philippines, 1993-2003…………… 55
33 Mean weight and height of adults, 20 years old and over, by
age group and by gender: Philippines, 2003…………….. 56
34 Percentage distribution of adults, 20 years old and over, by
BMI, by age and by gender: Philippines, 2003…………… 57
35 Percentage distribution of adults by age group and by
nutritional status based on BMI for Asian population:
Philippines, 2003……………………………………………. 58
36 Percentage distribution of adults by gender and by
nutritional status based on BMI for Asian population:
Philippines, 2003……………………………………………. 58
FACTS AND FIGURES xi
Table No. Page
37 Trends in the prevalence of underweight and overweight

among adults: Philippines, 1993-2003 ……………………. 59
38 Percentage distribution of pregnant women, by weight-for-
height classification: Philippines, 2003…………………….. 60
39 Percentage distribution of lactating mothers by nutritional
status: Philippines, 2003 …………………………………….. 60
40 Estimates of the proportion of underweight among 0-5 year-
old children, by region, standard error, confidence interval,
margin of error and coefficient of variation: Philippines, 2003 63
41 Estimates of the proportion of underheight among 0-5 year-
old children, by region, standard error, confidence interval,
margin of error and coefficient of variation: Philippines, 2003 64
42 Estiamtes of underweight among 6-10 year-old children, by
region, standard error, confidence interval, margin of error
and coefficient of variation: Philippines …………………….. 65
43 Estimates of the proportion of underheight among 6-10
year-old children, by region, standard error, confidence
interval, margin of error and coefficient of variation:
Philippines …………………………………………………….. 66
44 Hemoglobin levels below which anemia may be considered
to be present ………………………………………………….. 70
45 Epidemiological criteria for assessing severity and
magnitude of nutritional anemia in population groups ……. 70
46 Comparison in the prevalence of anemia of 1-5 year-old
children by age: Philippines, 1998 and 2003 ……………….. 73
47 Guidelines used for the interpretation of vitamin A
biochemical data ………………………………………………. 74
48 Criteria for assessing the public health significance of VAD
in the community based n plasma retinol level ……………. 74
49 Epidemiological criteria for assessing iodine nutrition based
on median urinary iodine concentrations in school-aged
children …………………………………………………………. 77
50 Median and percentage distribution of urinary iodine
excretion levels by age and by specific population group:
Philippines, 2003 ……………………………………………… 78
51 Suggested lower cut-off for zinc deficiency ……………….. 79
52 Suggested guidelines for zinc deficiency as a public health
concern ………………………………………………………… 79
53 Mean plasma zinc and percent deficiency by age among 6-
71 months old preschool-age children …………………….. 80
xii List of Tables
Table No. Page
54 Assessment criteria for obesity using waist circumference 85

55 Assessment criteria for obesity using waist-hip ratio 86
56 Means and percentage distribution of subjects by age, by
waist circumference cut-off and by gender: Philippines,
2003 …………………………………………………………… 86
57 Percentage distribution according to waist-hip ratio, by age
and by gender: Philippines, 2003 87
58 Blood lipid classification ……………………………………. 90
59 Distribution of adults according to total cholesterol levels by
age and by gender: Philippines, 2003 ……………………. 91
60 Means and percentage distribution of adults according to
HDL-cholesterol levels by age and by gender: Philippines,
2003 ………………………………………………………….. 92
61 Means and percentage distributions of adults according to
HDL-cholesterol levels by age and by gender: Philippines,
2003 …………………………………………………………… 93
62 Means and percentage distribution of adults according to
triglyceride levels by age and by gender: Philippines, 2003 94
63 Fasting blood sugar or glucose classifications …………… 95
64 Mean fasting blood sugar and prevalence of various levels
of fasting blood sugar by age and by gender: Philippines,
2003 …………………………………………………………… 96
65 Assessment criteria for blood pressure classification 97
66 Prevalence of vari0ous stages of hypertension and by age
and by gender: Philippines, 2003 ………………………….. 98
67 Prevalence of coronary arterial disease by age and by
gender, based on previous diagnosis, and on the PHA
Angina Questionnaire: Philippines, 2003 ………………… 100
68 Prevalence of stroke by age and by gender, based on
previous Diagnosis and on the PNA Stroke Questionnaire:
Philippines, 2003 ……………………………………………. 101
69 Prevalence of peripheral arterial disease by age and by
gender, based on previous diagnosis of PAD, Ankle-
Brachial Index and the Claudication Questionnaire:
Philippines, 2003 …………………………………………… 102
FACTS AND FIGURES xiii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure No. Page
1 Mean one-day per capita food intake by food group:

Philippines, 2003 ………………………………………………….. 6
2 Percent contribution of carbohydrates, protein and fat to total
dietary energy: Philippines, 2003 ……………………………….. 9
3 Mean one-day per capita food cost by food group: Philippines,
2003 ………………………………………………………………… 13
4 Trends in per capita total food intake: Philippines, 1978-2003 18
5 Percent contribution of carbohydrates, protein, and fat to total
dietary energy intake: Philippines, 1987, 1993 and 2003 …….. 19
intake of 6-month to 5 year-old children: Philippines, 2003 ….. 31
intake of pregnant mothers: Philippines, 2003 ………………… 34
intake of lactating mothers: Philippines, 2003 ………………… 36
9 Trends in the prevalence of malnutrition among 0–5 year-old
children: Philippines, 1989/90 – 2003 …………………………… 49
10 Trends in the prevalence of malnutrition among 6–10 year-old
children: Philippines, 1989/90 – 2003 …………………………… 52
11 Comparison in the prevalence of nutritionally-at-risk pregnant
women: Philippines, 1998 and 2003 ……………………………. 61
12 Comparison in the prevalence of underweight and overweight
among lactating mothers: Philippines, 1998 and 2003 ……….. 62
13 Prevalence of anemia by specific population group;
Philippines, 2003 …………………………………………………. 71
14 Trends in the prevalence of anemia by specific population
group: Philippines, 1993 to 2003 ……………………………….. 72
15 Percentage distribution of VAD by age and by specific
population group: Philippines, 2003 …………………………… 75
16 Comparison of the prevalence of deficient and low levels of
vitamin A among specific population groups: Philippines,
1993, 1998 and 2003 …………………………………………….. 76
17 Frequency distribution of urinary iodine excretion among 6–12
year-old children: Philippines, 1998 and 2003 …………………. 78
18 Prevalence of Zinc deficiency by age and gender: Philippines,
2003…………………………………………………………………. 81
19 Comparison of the prevalence of high waist circumference
among adults by gender: Philippines, 1998 and 2003 ………… 88
20 Comparison of the prevalence of android obesity by gender:
Philippines, 1998 and 2003……………………………………….. 89
21 Comparison of the prevalence of hypertension among Filipino
adults, by gender: Philippines, 1993, 1998 and 2003………….. 99
FACTS AND FIGURES : Dietary
PHILIPPINE FACTS AND FIGURES 2003
Part I. Dietary Facts and Figures
FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Dietary Intake of Filipino Households
What do Filipinos eat? Do they eat enough? Are Filipinos meeting the
recommended energy and nutrient intakes?
The Household Food Consumption Survey (HFCS) is one major component of the
National Nutrition Survey (NNS). Actual amounts of food consumed in the household for
one day are collected by the food weighing technique. Information on foods that are
eaten by household members outside the home are also obtained from interview to
record all foods eaten by all household members in the day. Energy and nutrient intakes
from the food are assessed relative to their adequacy when compared against the
Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI) of household members.
The HFCS in the 2003 NNS fills a 10-year gap in the official data on food intake of
Filipino households. The trend analysis of HFCS data from the previous NNS up to 2003
provides information on the changes in food consumption patterns through the years,
particularly in the light of changing lifestyles among Filipinos brought about by the
economic and social transitions in the Philippines and around the world.
1. At the National Level
1.1. Food Consumption of Philippine Households
The typical one-day food intake in Philippine households in 2003 is characterized as

follows. The weight of the food reported here refers to the weight as purchased (AP).
• Major components of the diet of Filipinos are rice, vegetables and fish, contributing
34.2 %, 12.5 % and 11.7 %, respectively, of the per capita one-day total food
intake of 886 grams.
• Among the cereals, the mean intake of rice and products, corn and products, and
other cereals and products are 303 grams, 31 grams, and 30 grams per day,
respectively.
• The intake of fish and products is 104 grams per capita per day and 81 grams for
meat and poultry and their products. The latter is 9.2 % of the per capita one-day
total food intake.
• The intake of vegetables is 111 grams including 31 grams green leafy and yellow
vegetables and 80 grams other vegetables.
• The intake of fruits is 54 grams per capita per day (6.1% of total food intake)
which includes 12 grams of vitamin C-rich foods and 42 grams other fruits.
• Milk and milk products (49 grams), roots and tubers (19 grams), beans, nuts and
seeds (10 grams), sugars (24 grams) and fats and oils (18 grams) are consumed
in smaller amounts.
• Thirty percent of foods consumed are from animal sources while 70 % are of
plant origin.

Figure 1. Mean one-day per capita food intake by food groups: Philippines, 2003
C e r e a ls , 3 6 4 g (4 1 .1 % )
S ta r c h y R o o ts
& tu b e r s , 1 9 g (2 .2 % )
S u g a r s , 2 4 g (2 .7 % )
886 g
D r ie d b e a n s ,
1 0 g (1 .1 % )
M is c e lla n e o u s ,
3 9 g (4 .4 % )
F a ts 1 8 g (2 .0 % ) Raw AP Ve g e ta b le s ,
1 1 1 g (1 2 .5 % )
E g g s , 1 3 g (1 .5 % )
M e a t 8 1 g (9 .2 % )
F r u its , 5 4 g (6 .1 % )
F is h , 1 0 4 g (1 1 .7 % ) M ilk
p r o d u c ts , 4 9 g (5 .6 % )
Table 1. Mean one-day per capita food consumption and percent

of food to total intake: Philippines, 2003
Consumption, Raw AP Percent

Food Group/Sub-group
kg/y g/d of Total
All Foods 324 886 100.0

Cereals and Cereal Products 133 364 41.1
Rice and Products 111 303 34.2
Corn and Products 11 31 3.5
Other Cereals and Products 11 30 3.4
Starchy Roots and Tubers 7 19 2.2
Sugars and Syrups 9 24 2.7
Fats and Oils 7 18 2.0
Fish, Meat and Poultry 67 185 20.9
Fish and Products 38 104 11.7
Meat and Products 22 61 6.9
Poultry 7 20 2.3
Eggs 5 13 1.5
Milk and Milk Products 18 49 5.6
Whole Milk 13 35 4.0
Milk Products 5 14 1.6
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds 4 10 1.1
Vegetables 40 111 12.5
Green Leafy and Yellow 11 31 3.5
Other Vegetables 29 80 9.0
Fruits 20 54 6.1
Vitamin C-rich Fruits 4 12 1.4
Other Fruits 16 42 4.7
Miscellaneous 14 39 4.4
Beverages 9 26 2.9
Condiments and Others 5 13 1.5
Note: Numbers may not add up to totals due to rounding off

1.2. Energy and Nutrient Intake in Philippine Households
• The typical one-day food intake of Philippine households provides the following
amounts of energy and selected nutrients.
Table 2. Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient

intake: Philippines, 2003
Energy and Nutrient Intake
Energy (kcal) 1905

Protein (g) 56.2
Iron (mg) 10.1
Calcium (g) 0.44
Vitamin A (mcg Retinol Equivalent) 455.2
Thiamin (mg) 0.88
Riboflavin (mg) 0.73
Niacin (mg) 20.6
Ascorbic Acid (mg) 46.5
• Only four in every 10 Filipino households have per capita energy intake
that meets the recommended intake.
• Seven in every 10 Filipino households have per capita intake that meets
the average requirement (which is about 80% of the RENI) for protein
(RENI, 2002).
• About nine in every 10 Filipino households have per capita intake that
meets the average requirement for niacin and five in every 10 households
meet the average requirement for thiamin.
• No more than three in every 10 households meet the average requirement

for iron, calcium, vitamin A, riboflavin and vitamin C. Only two in every 10
households meet the requirements for iron as well as vitamin A.
• Conversely, a large proportion of Filipino households have inadequate

intake of energy (56.9 %), protein (33.7 %), iron (80.6 %), calcium (84 %),
vitamin A (71.1 %), thiamin (54.9 %), riboflavin (72.7 %) and vitamin C
(68.2 %)

Table 3. Proportion of households with per capita energy and nutrient

intake meeting (> ) and not meeting (<) the Recommended
Energy and Nutrient Intake (RENI): Philippines, 2003
Proportion of Proportion of
Energy and Nutrient Households Households Not
Meeting (>) RENI Meeting (<) RENI
Energy (kcal)* 43.1 56.9

Protein (g)** 66.3 33.7
Iron (mg)** 19.4 80.6
Calcium (g)** 16.0 84.0
Vitamin A (mcg, Retinol Equivalent)** 28.9 71.1
Thiamin (mg)** 45.1 54.9
Riboflavin (mg)** 27.3 72.7
Niacin (mg)** 90.9 9.1
Ascorbic Acid (mg)** 31.8 68.2
* 100% RENI
** 80% RENI (assumption: Estimated Average Requirement is 80% RENI)
• The average contribution of carbohydrate, protein and fat to total dietary

energy in household diets are 70%, 12% and 18% respectively.
Fat
18%
Protein
12%
Carbohydrate
70%
Figure 2. Percent contribution of carbohydrates, protein

and fat to total dietary energy: Philippines, 2003

Table 4. Percentage contribution of food group/sub-group to energy
and nutrient intake: Philippines, 2003
Percent Contribution
Food Group/ Sub-group Energy Protein Fats CHO Iron Vitamin
A
Cereals and Cereal Products 67.5 49.5 17.6 83.8 45.7 3.2
Rice and Products 52.8 37.0 4.1 68.2 28.8 0.1
Corn and Products 5.2 3.9 1.6 6.3 1.6 0.2
Other Cereals and Products 9.5 8.6 11.9 9.2 15.3 2.9
Starchy Roots and Tubers 1.2 0.4 0.4 1.5 1.7 0.3
Sugars and Syrups 4.4 0.2 0.5 6.2 0.5 0.1
Fats and Oils 5.9 0.6 31.9 0.1 0.7 0.6
Fish, Meat and Poultry 12.0 38.2 39.4 0.5 22.0 51.5
Fish and Products 3.4 19.7 5.3 0.2 10.0 13.1
Meat and Products 7.4 13.8 30.5 0.3 10.2 27.4
Poultry 1.2 4.7 3.7 n 1.8 11.0
Eggs 1.0 2.6 3.4 0.1 3.2 7.9
Milk and Milk Products 1.4 2.2 3.4 0.7 1.5 5.3
Whole Milk 1.2 1.9 2.8 0.6 1.4 5.1
Milk products 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.3
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds 1.1 2.1 1.0 0.9 3.9 0.2
Vegetables 1.7 2.7 0.9 1.8 10.5 24.1
Green Leafy and Yellow 0.5 0.9 0.3 0.4 5.2 20.8
Other Vegetables 1.2 1.8 0.6 1.3 5.3 3.3
Fruits 1.6 0.6 0.6 2.0 2.4 1.8
Vitamin C-rich Fruits 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.6
Other Fruits 1.4 0.5 0.6 1.8 1.9 1.2
Miscellaneous 2.2 1.0 0.8 2.4 7.9 4.9
Beverages 1.6 0.9 0.7 1.5 4.5 4.5
Condiments and Others 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.8 3.3 0.4
Numbers may not add up to totals due to rounding off.
• Cereals and cereal products, particularly rice and products (52.8%) is the food
group which is the major contributor of energy in the Filipino diet. It is also the
biggest contributor of iron (28.8 %), thiamin 32.5 %), and niacin (43.3%) and also
one of the biggest contributor of protein (37.0%).
• Aside from rice and products, the other major contributors of protein in the
Filipino diet are fish (19.7 %), meat and products (13.8 %), and other cereals and
cereal products (8.6 %).
• The other major contributors of iron are also fish and products (10%), meat and
products (10.2%), and other cereals and cereal products (15.3%).

Table 4. Continued…….
Percent Contribution
Food Group/ Sub-group Ascorbic
Calcium Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin
Acid
Cereals and Cereal Products 25.9 53.1 34.8 51.2 1.1
Rice and Products 17.5 32.5 19.5 43.3 0.1
Corn and Products 1.0 2.8 2.0 0.9 0.3
Other Cereals and Products 7.4 17.8 13.3 6.9 0.7
Starchy Roots and Tubers 1.7 1.7 0.8 0.8 10.0
Sugars and Syrups 2.3 0.1 0.7 0.1 0.4
Fats and Oils 0.3 3.8 0.8 0.5 n
Fish, Meat and Poultry 33.0 22.0 30.1 35.1 2.4
Fish and Products 28.0 3.8 11.6 20.1 0.1
Meat and Products 3.6 17.0 13.7 10.3 1.3
Poultry 1.4 1.2 4.8 4.7 1.0
Eggs 2.0 1.1 6.3 2.5 0.0
Milk and Milk Products 10.2 2.3 10.0 0.6 2.4
Whole Milk 9.2 1.7 9.3 0.4 2.2
Milk products 1.0 0.6 0.8 0.2 0.1
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds 2.0 2.8 1.6 1.8 0.3
Vegetables 12.7 7.2 8.2 2.8 47.1

Green Leafy and Yellow 5.6 1.8 3.7 1.0 21.4
Other Vegetables 7.0 5.4 4.5 1.8 25.7
Fruits 2.1 1.6 1.7 0.9 18.6
Vitamin C-rich Fruits 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.2 9.1
Other Fruits 1.7 1.2 1.3 0.7 9.5
Miscellaneous 7.8 4.3 5.0 3.8 17.7
Beverages 4.6 4.3 4.7 3.7 16.0
Condiments and Others 3.2 0.1 0.2 n 1.8
• Meat and products (27.4 %), green, leafy and yellow vegetables (20.8 %), fish
(13.1 %), and poultry (11.0 %) are the major vitamin A sources in the Filipino
diet.
• The group fish, meat and poultry, particularly fish and products (28.0 %), is the
major source of calcium in the diet. Rice and products (17.5 %) and the
vegetables group (12.7 %) contribute more calcium in the diet than milk and milk
products.
• Next to cereals and cereal products, the group fish, meat and poultry is the major
source of thiamin (22 %), riboflavin (30.1 %) and niacin (35.1 %). Ten percent of
riboflavin intake is contributed by milk and milk products.
• Vegetables (47.1 %), fruits (18.6 %), and beverages (16 %), which include
fortified fruit drinks, among others, are the major sources of vitamin C in the diet.

1.3. Cost on one-day food intake of Philippine Household
How much does a typical Filipino household spend for food?
• The average cost of foods consumed by Filipino households is PhP36.02 per

capita per day, accounting for the actual cost of foods that are bought as well as
not bought.
• Cereals, which comprise the largest slice of the pie, also contribute the largest
share (Php10.41) of the total food cost.
• The cost of meat and poultry in the diet contributes a larger share (Php7.85) of
the total food cost than that of fish (PhP5.63) or vegetables (Php2.80).
Starchy Roots
& Tubers,
P0.45 (1.3%)
Sugars & Syrups,
Fats & Oils,
Cereals & Products, P1.74 (4.9%)
P0.74 (2.1%)
P10.41 (28.9%)
Fish & Products,

P5.63 (15.6%)
P36.02
Miscellaneous,
P2.41 (6.7%)
Fruits, Meat & Poultry,

P1.14 (3.2%) Vegetables,
P7.85 (21.8%)
P2.80 (7.8%) Eggs,
P0.92 (2.6%)
Dried Beans,
Nuts, & Seeds, Milk & Products,
P0.47 (1.3%) P1.42 (3.9%)
Figure 3. Mean one-day per capita food cost by food group: Philippines, 2003
1.4. Food Wastage in Philippine Households
How much food is wasted in Filipino households?
• Plate waste and foods thrown away, including edible as well as inedible wastage
from food preparation, amount to 26 grams AP per capita per day in Filipino
households.
• Food waste from rice (14 grams per capita per day or 4.6 %) is highest, followed
by food waste from fish and products (3.8 %) and vegetables (3.6 %).

• Rice wastage in households translates to 1,120 metric tons per day, assuming a
Philippine population of 80 million.
Table 5. Mean one-day per capita food wastage and percentage

of food available for consumption: Philippines, 2003
Food Group/Subgroup Wastage in % of Food

Gram, raw AP Wasted
Cereals and Cereal Products 16 4.4
Rice and Products 14 4.6
Corn and Products 1 3.2
Other Cereals and Products n 1.2
Starchy Roots and Tubers n 1.4
Sugars and Syrups n 0.2
Fats and Oils n 0.6
Fish, Meat and Poultry 6 3.2
Fish and Products 4 3.8
Meat and Products 1 1.6
Poultry n 2.1
Eggs n 0.8
Milk and Milk Products n n
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds n 1.5
Vegetables 4 3.6
Green Leafy and Yellow 1 3.2
Other Vegetables 2 3.8
Fruits n 0.4
Vitamin C-rich Fruits n 0.6
Other Fruits n 0.3
Miscellaneous n 0.3
Total 26 2.9
n - negligible
• The mean dietary energy that is lost due to household food wastage is 64 kcal per
capita per day.
• The total dietary energy that is lost per day due to household food wastage can more
than adequately provide for the energy requirement of 3.2 million underweight 0–5
year old children per day.

Table 6. Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient
losses on food wastage: Philippines, 2003
Nutrient % of Nutrient
Energy and Nutrients
Losses Loss
Energy (kcal) 64.0 3.4

Protein (g) 13.5 24.0
Iron (mg) 0.3 3.0
Retinol Equivalent (mcg) 13.5 3.0
Calcium 0.01 2.3
Thiamin (mg) 0.02 2.3
Riboflavin (mg) 0.02 2.7
Niacin (mg) 0.7 3.4
Ascorbic Acid (mg) 0.9 1.9
Fats (g) 1.0 2.6
Carbohydrates (g) 13.0 3.9
1.5. Trends in Food Consumption and Nutrient Intake:1978–2003
1.5.1. Food Consumption
Have household diets changed over the years 1978 - 2003? Have diets improved?
• In a span of 10 years from 1993, the per capita food intake in Filipino households
has increased from 803 grams to 886 grams. The 2003 per capita total food
intake, however, has not exceeded the per capita food intake in 1978.
• Generally, the overall dietary pattern in Filipino households remains to be rice-

vegetable-fish, as these three food groups contribute the largest share of total food
intake through the years from 1978.
• The average per capita intake of rice and products has generally not changed,
except for its lowest intake in 1993; while the average intake of other cereals and
products, which include, among others, breads and bakery products, noodles, and
snack foods from wheat flour, has increased slightly from 1978 to 2003.
• Although the food group vegetables continue to contribute a major share of the
total food intake, its per capita consumption through the years has been declining.
• Aside from vegetables, the consumption of corn and products, roots and tubers,
and fruits has also been declining from 1978 to 2003.
• Except for generally lower intakes in 1993, the consumption of meat and meat
products, poultry, eggs, milk, fats and oils and sugars has been increasing.

Table 7. Mean one-day per capita food consumption: Philippines, 1978-2003
Consumption (g), Raw As Purchased

Food Group/Sub-group
1978 1982 1987 1993 2003
Cereals and Cereal Products 367 356 345 340 364

Rice and Products 308 304 303 282 303
Corn and Products 38 34 24 36 31
Other Cereals and Products 21 18 18 22 30
Starchy Roots and Tubers 37 42 22 17 19
Sugars and Syrups 19 22 24 19 24
Fats and Oils 13 14 14 12 18
Fish, Meat and Poultry 133 154 157 147 185
Fish and Products 102 113 111 99 104
Meat and Products 23 32 37 34 61
Poultry 7 10 9 14 20
Eggs 8 9 10 12 13
Milk and Milk Products 42 44 43 44 49
Whole Milk 35 35
Milk products 9 14
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds 8 10 10 10 10
Vegetables 145 130 111 106 111
Green Leafy and Yellow 34 37 29 30 31
Other Vegetables 111 93 82 76 80
Fruits 104 102 107 77 54
Vitamin C-rich Fruits 30 18 24 21 12
Other Fruits 74 84 83 56 42
Miscellaneous 21 32 26 19 39
Beverages 26
Condiments and Others 13
Total 897 915 869 803 886
Note: Numbers may not add up to totals due to rounding off.

1000
900
915
897 886
869
800
803
700
600
500
1978 1982 1987 1993 2003
Figure 4. Trends in per capita total food intake: Philippines, 1978-2003
1.5.2. Energy and Nutrient Intake
• The contribution of fats to dietary energy has increased from 15 % in

1987 and 12 % in 1993 to 18 % in 2003.
• The contribution of carbohydrates to dietary energy has decreased to 70

% in 2003, from 74 % in 1987 and in 1993.
2000
1800 18%
1600 15% 15%

12%
1400 11% 73%
1200 74% 12% 70%
1000 Fats
800 Protein
Carbohydrate
600
400
200
0
1987 1993 2003
Note: number may not add up to 100% due to rounding off
Figure 5. Percent contribution of carbohydrate, protein and fat to total

dietary energy intake: Philippines, 1987, 1993 and 2003
Table 8. Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient intake:

Philippines, 1978-2003
Energy and Nutrient Intake
Energy and Nutrient
1978 1982 1987 1993 2003
Energy (kcal) 1804 1808 1753 1684 1905

Protein (g) 53.0 50.6 49.7 49.9 56.2
Iron (mg) 11.0 10.8 10.7 10.1 10.1
Retinol Equivalent (mcg) - - 389.7 391.9 455.2
Calcium 0.44 0.45 0.42 0.39 0.44
Thiamin (mg) 0.73 0.74 0.68 0.67 0.88
Riboflavin (mg) 0.53 0.58 0.56 0.56 0.73
Niacin (mg) 15.3 16.4 16.3 16.1 20.6
Ascorbic Acid (mg) 66.8 61.6 53.6 46.7 46.5
Fats (g) - 30 30 29 38
Carbohydrates (g) - 327 313 310 333
• In terms of energy and nutrient intakes, the one-day per capita food intake in 2003
is higher than in 1993.
• The intake of iron and ascorbic acid practically remains unchanged during the ten-
year period.
2. At the Regional Level
2.1 Food Consumption

Does dietary intake differ at the Regional level?
• In regions of Luzon, the highest mean per capita intake of rice and products is 371
grams for MIMAROPA, 363 grams for CAR, 359 grams for Cagayan, and 350
grams for Ilocos.
• As in the past, Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao are still the corn eating
regions.
• The NCR consumes 102 grams of meat and products and 76 grams of milk and
milk products. The rest of the regions consume meat and products ranging from 84
grams (CAR) to 13 grams (ARMM); and milk and milk products from 65 grams
(Central Luzon) to 19 grams (ARMM).

Table 9. Mean one-day per capita food consumption by region:
Philippines, 2003
Philippines NCR Ilocos CAR Cagayan Central

Food Group/Sub-group Valley Luzon
Cereals and Cereal Products 364 320 377 393 389 363
Rice and Products 303 267 350 363 359 325
Corn and Products 31 5** 1** 4** 6** 4**
Other Cereals and Products 30 47 26 26* 24* 34
Starchy Roots and Tubers 19 19** 14** 34** 32** 13*
Sugars and Syrups 24 28 27 25 22 27
Fats and Oils 18 29* 16** 14** 16* 18
Fish, Meat and Poultry 185 226 188 175 149 209
Fish and Products 104 94 102 59* 69 102
Meat and Products 61 102 75 84* 54** 82
Poultry 20 30** 11** 32** 26** 25
Eggs 13 18** 14* 10** 12** 18
Milk and Milk Products 49 76 42* 30** 37** 65*
Whole Milk 35 53 37* 26** 26** 40*
Milk Products 14* 23** 5** 4** 11** 25**
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds 10 13** 8* 18** 13* 9**
Vegetables 111 88 171 155 132 99
Green Leafy & Yellow 31 22* 43* 49* 46** 19*
Other Vegetables 80 66 128 106* 86 80
Fruits 54 60** 41** 49** 22** 56*
Vitamin C-rich Fruits 12 15** 11** 16** 7** 13**
Other Fruits 42 45** 30** 33** 15** 43*
MISCELLANEOUS 39 56** 29* 26** 26** 38*
Beverages 26 43** 16** 18** 15** 20*
Condiments 10 10 11* 6* 9 10
Others 3** 3** 2** 2** 2** 8**
TOTAL FOOD 886 933 927 929 850 915

*CVs > 10% but < 15%;
** CVs > 15%

Table 9 Continued……..
CALA- MIMA- Bicol Western Central Eastern
Visayas Visayas Visayas
Food Group/Sub-group BARZON ROPA
Rice and Products 315 371 296 351 187 309
Corn and Products 4** 4** 27** 18** 136* 26**
Other Cereals and Products 33 24* 38 21 27 22*
Starchy Roots and Tubers 10* 26** 23** 14** 18** 18**
Sugars and Syrups 24 23 23 22 21* 20
Fats and Oils 22* 17** 17* 11 13* 19*
Fish, Meat and Poultry 194 167 146 200 153 168
Fish and Products 98 96 97 140 103 122
Meat and Products 73 59* 43** 43* 43* 34**
Poultry 23** 12** 6** 17** 7** 12**
Eggs 15** 11** 8** 14** 12** 8**
Milk and Milk Products 64** 27* 29* 49* 31* 33**
Whole Milk 41* 21* 24* 35* 26* 28**
Milk Products 23** 6** 5** 14* 5** 5**
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds 8* 9** 10* 8* 11* 10*
Vegetables 99 129 118 127 108 93

Green Leafy & Yellow 24* 22** 30* 35 43** 20*
Other Vegetables 75 107 88* 92 65 73
Fruits 43** 87** 52** 58** 39** 44**

Vitamin C-rich Fruits 10** 16** 13** 7** 9** 4**
Other Fruits 33** 71** 39** 51** 30** 40**
MISCELLANEOUS 50** 41* 25** 40** 30* 43**

Beverages 36** 28** 14** 28** 17** 31**
Condiments 10 10 10** 10 12* 11
Others 4** 3** 1** 2** 1** 1**
TOTAL FOOD 881 936 812 933 786 813

* CVs > 10% but < 15%
** CVs > 15%

Table 9 Continued……..
Zamboanga Northern SOSSK-
Davao Caraga ARMM
Food Group/Sub-group Peninsula Mindanao SARGEN
Rice and Products 243* 252 300 364 308 336
Corn and Products 116** 133* 55** 22** 54** 1**
Other Cereals and Products 21** 19 26 15 23* 13
Starchy Roots and Tubers 22** 35** 30** 17** 25** 29**
Sugars and Syrups 17 16 28 24 21* 21
Fats and Oils 13** 16 16** 11* 14** 12**
Fish, Meat and Poultry 138 158 194 170 157 151*
Fish and Products 108 101 113 117 105 120
Meat and Products 21** 837 53** 39** 35** 13**
Poultry 9** 20** 28** 14** 17** 1**
Eggs 8** 10** 14** 9** 10** 9**
Milk and Milk Products 21** 46* 57** 32** 36* 19**
Whole Milk 20** 38* 37* 21* 29* 19**
Milk Products 1** 8** 20** 11** 7** 0
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds 9** 13** 11* 8* 9** 4**
Vegetables 84* 131 101 139 121 80*

Green Leafy and Yellow 29** 42* 39* 44* 37 19*
Other Vegetables 55** 89 62* 95* 84* 61*
Fruits 51** 66* 98** 56 60** 38**

Vitamin C-rich Fruits 3** 17** 24** 13** 12** 4**
Other Fruits 48** 49* 74** 43* 48** 34**
MISCELLANEOUS 23** 38** 43** 31 48** 16*

Beverages 9** 24** 29** 18** 33** 9**
Condiments 12 12 12 11 14 6*
Others 2** 2** 2** 2** 1** 1**
TOTAL FOOD 766 933 973 898 886 729

* CVs > 10 % but < 15%
** CVs > 15%
2.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake

• Mean energy intake in the regional level ranges from 1683 kcal in ARMM to 2072
kcal in CAR. Mean energy adequacy ranges from 89.8 % in ARMM to 105.1 % in
CAR.
• Across all regions, only niacin among energy and nutrients meets the
recommended dietary intake.
• No region meets the recommended nutrient intake for iron, calcium, thiamine and
vitamin C. For iron and calcium, no region meets at least 68 % of the
recommended intake.
• The regions that fail to meet the recommended energy and nutrient intake other
than that of niacin are: Bicol, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga
Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, and ARMM.

Table 10. Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient intake
and percent adequacy by region: Philippines, 2003
R E G I O N
Energy and Nutrient
NCR Ilocos Cagayan CAR Central CALA-
Luzon BARZON
Energy (kcal)
Intake 1942 1944 1940 2072 1955 1888
RENI 1955 1922 1938 1971 1946 1943
Adequacy 99.4 101.2 100.1 105.1 100.5 97.2
Protein (g)
Intake 61.4 56.6 53.3 60.4 57.9 56.7
RENI 56.8 56.8 56.9 57.3 56.9 56.9
Adequacy 108.1 99.6 93.5 105.4 101.8 99.7
Iron (mg)
Intake 11.2 11.0 10.2 11.4 10.6 10.4
RENI 17.3 16.3 16.6 16.8 16.8 17.2
Adequacy 64.6 67.5 61.3 67.8 62.8 60.3
Retinol Equivalent (mcg)
Intake 557.1 524.3 461.1 718.2 374.2 583.5
RENI 499.6 497.8 497.7 497.9 500.0 498.2
Adequacy 111.5 105.3 92.6 144.2 74.8 117.1
Calcium (g)
Intake 0.46 0.50 0.45 0.47 0.42 0.41
RENI 0.76 0.77 0.77 0.77 0.76 0.77
Adequacy 60.8 65.5 58.5 60.4 55.2 54.1
Thiamin (mg)
Intake 0.97 0.93 0.89 1.17 0.89 0.91
RENI 1.03 1.03 1.03 1.03 1.03 1.03
Adequacy 93.9 90.3 86.8 113.1 86.6 88.3
Riboflavin (mg)
Intake 0.84 0.78 0.74 0.88 0.74 0.82
RENI 1.08 1.07 1.07 1.08 1.07 1.07
Adequacy 77.8 73.3 68.7 82.0 69.2 76.3
Niacin (mg)
Intake 22.4 21.4 20.2 24.7 20.9 21.6
RENI 13.3 13.2 13.3 13.3 13.2 13.3
Adequacy 168.4 161.5 152.2 185.6 157.9 162.5
Ascorbic Acid (mg)
Intake 47.8 45.5 42.9 60.8 42.6 39.5
RENI 62.8 62.2 62.3 62.3 62.3 62.5
Adequacy 76.0 73.1 68.9 97.6 68.3 63.3

Table 10 Continued….
R E G I O N
Energy and Nutrient MIMA- Western Central Eastern Zamboanga
Bicol
ROPA Visayas Visayas Visayas Peninsula
Energy (kcal)
Intake 2008 1856 1936 1782 1803 1762
RENI 1921 1924 1937 1925 1912 1914
Adequacy 104.5 96.5 99.9 92.6 94.3 92.1
Protein (g)
Intake 54.8 50.6 58.0 51.8 51.6 50.6
RENI 56.0 56.7 56.4 56.4 55.9 56.0
Adequacy 97.8 89.2 102.8 91.8 92.4 90.4
Iron (mg)
Intake 10.1 9.2 10.5 8.7 8.7 7.9
RENI 16.6 16.5 16.5 16.5 16.1 16.7
Adequacy 61.2 55.9 63.8 52.9 53.9 47.7
Intake 469.5 371.3 426.2 349.1 361.5 337.7
RENI 495.0 500.7 496.1 495.6 491.5 492.1
Adequacy 94.9 74.2 85.9 70.4 73.5 68.6
Calcium (g)
Intake 0.43 0.40 0.50 0.42 0.41 0.37
RENI 0.76 0.76 0.76 0.77 0.76 0.77
Adequacy 56.5 51.8 65.8 54.4 54.4 48.6
Thiamin (mg)
Intake 0.88 0.80 1.08 0.79 0.77 0.69
RENI 1.01 1.03 1.02 1.02 1.01 1.01
Adequacy 87.1 77.7 106.2 77.3 76.6 68.0
Riboflavin (mg)
Intake 0.67 0.62 0.70 0.64 0.61 0.57
RENI 1.05 1.07 1.06 1.06 1.05 1.05
Adequacy 63.8 57.4 65.6 60.1 58.4 54.4
Niacin (mg)
Intake 21.3 18.3 21.7 16.2 19.4 16.8
RENI 13.0 13.2 13.1 13.1 12.9 13.0
Adequacy 163.5 138.6 165.1 124.1 149.6 129.5
Ascorbic Acid (mg)
Intake 52.8 47.2 45.9 50.1 38.1 37.7
RENI 60.8 62.3 61.6 61.3 60.7 60.7
Adequacy 86.9 75.7 74.4 81.8 62.8 62.1

Table 10 Continued….
R E G I O N
Energy and Nutrient
Northern DAVAO SOCCSK CARAGA ARMM
Mindanao SARGEN
Energy (kcal)
Intake 1955 1998 1911 1898 1683
RENI 1994 1948 1980 1898 1874
Adequacy 98.0 102.6 96.5 100.0 89.8
Protein (g)
Intake 57.7 59.0 56.8 52.6 47.4
RENI 58.1 56.9 57.2 55.4 53.7
Adequacy 99.3 103.8 99.2 94.9 88.3
Iron (mg)
Intake 9.9 10.4 9.3 9.8 7.5
RENI 16.6 16.9 16.8 16.2 16.0
Adequacy 59.2 61.3 55.6 60.8 46.8
Intake 399.3 451.5 380.0 597.9 236.2
RENI 505.0 504.1 502.0 495.6 484.7
Adequacy 79.1 89.6 75.7 120.7 48.7
Calcium (g)
Intake 0.46 0.45 0.41 0.44 0.32
RENI 0.77 0.76 0.77 0.75 0.75
Adequacy 59.6 58.5 53.2 58.1 43.3
Thiamin (mg)
Intake 0.83 0.87 0.83 0.80 0.59
RENI 1.05 1.03 1.03 1.00 0.97
Adequacy 78.8 84.9 80.9 79.9 61.6
Riboflavin (mg)
Intake 0.67 0.76 0.66 0.72 0.53
RENI 1.10 1.08 1.08 1.05 1.01
Adequacy 61.2 70.9 61.0 69.2 52.9
Niacin (mg)
Intake 19.8 21.8 22.3 19.4 19.1
RENI 13.5 13.2 13.3 12.9 12.3
Adequacy 146.6 165.1 167.9 151.1 155.3
Ascorbic Acid (mg)
Intake 62.0 61.8 48.1 52.8 31.8
RENI 63.4 62.4 62.3 60.3 57.7
Adequacy 97.4 99.1 77.3 87.6 55.1

Dietary Intake of Filipino Preschool-age Children, Pregnant Women and
Lactating Mothers
What do the nutritionally vulnerable groups of the population eat? Do they eat
enough?
The 6th NNS included an assessment of the usual one-day diets of the nutritionally-
vulnerable, non-breastfed 6 months to 5 year old children, pregnant women and lactating
mothers using the non-consecutive 2-day 24-hour food recall method. For the children,
the mother or caregiver served as the surrogate respondent. Only non-breastfeeding
children were included because breastmilk intake could not be captured accurately from
the 24-hour food recall. As in the case of the household food consumption data, the data
on the food intake of the children, pregnant women and lactating mothers are reported
herein as raw as purchased (AP) after converting the food weights that were recorded
from the recall, usually in cooked form, to its raw AP weight.
1.1 Preschool-age children, 6 Months – 5 Years Old
1.1.1 Food Consumption
The usual one-day food intake of non-breastfed 6 months to 5 years old children amounts
to an average of 562 grams of various foods.
• The major food groups in the children’s usual one-day food intake are milk, cereals,
and meat, fish and poultry, contributing 32 %, 30%, and 17 % of the child’s total
intake.
• The 6-month to 5-year old child consumes an average of 179 grams milk per day
(weight converted as whole milk), consisting of 158 grams as beverage and 21 grams
as milk products.
• The child’s total cereal consumption (166 grams/day) is mostly rice and products
(122 grams), while other cereals and products contribute 27 grams to the child’s daily
cereal intake.
• The child’s total consumption of meat, fish and poultry (95 grams/day) consists of 57
grams fish and products, 27 grams meat and products, and 11 grams poultry.
• The 6-month to 5-year old child consumes an average of 31 grams fruit and 23
grams vegetables per day, and 27 grams of the miscellaneous food group, most of
which (26 grams) are beverages including chocolate drinks and fruit-flavored drinks.
• The child’s consumption of sugars and syrups amounts to 15 grams per day.

Table 11. Mean one-day food consumption and percent of total food
intake of 6-month to 5 year-old children: Philippines, 2003
Food Group/Sub-Group Mean % of Total

Cereals and Cereal products 166 29.5
Other Cereal Products 27 4.8
Starchy Roots and Tubers 8 1.4
Sugars and Syrups 15 2.7
Fats and Oils 6 1.1
Poultry 11 2.0
Eggs 8 1.4
Milk and Milk Products 179 31.9
Whole Milk 158 28.1
Milk Products 21 3.8
Dried Beans, Nuts and Seeds 4 0.7
Vegetables 23 4.1
Green Leafy & Yellow 10 1.8
Fruits 31 5.5
Vitamin C-rich Fruits 4 0.7
Other Fruits 27 4.8
Miscellaneous 27 4.8
Beverages 26 4.6
Condiments and Others n n
Others 1 0.2
Total 562 100.0
The child’s intake of the various food groups, except milk generally increases with age.
• From six months to one year, the child’s average intake of rice per day is 97–100
grams; the average intake increases with each year thereafter.
• The child’s intake of milk decreases dramatically after infancy, from 726 grams
among 6-11 month old children to 355 grams among the one-year old children.
From two years of age, children on the average consume less than the
recommended one glass (240 grams) of milk a day (NGF, 2000)

Table 12. Mean one day food consumption of 6-month to 5 year-old children by
age group: Philippines, 2003
Age Group
Food Group/Sub-Group All 6-11 m 1y 2y 3y 4y 5y
Mean Intake in Grams, Raw As Purchased (RAP)
Cereals & Cereal Products 166 116 123 152 169 183 202
Rice and Products 122 100 97 110 122 131 148
Corn and Products 17 3 6 15 19 20 22
Other Cereal Products 27 13 20 27 28 32 32
Starchy Roots and Tubers 8 2 6 8 10 9 10
Sugars and Syrups 15 8 12 16 17 15 17
Fats and Oils 6 1 3 4 7 8 7
Fish, Meat and Poultry 95 14 48 87 103 121 122
Fish and Products 57 10 27 56 62 72 72
Meat and Products 27 3 15 22 29 35 38
Poultry 11 1 6 9 12 14 12
Eggs 8 2 6 7 9 10 8
Milk and Milk Products 179 726 355 211 128 78 59
Whole Milk 158 726 341 181 101 57 42
Milk Products 21 n 14 30 27 21 17
Dried Beans, Nuts & Seeds 4 2 3 4 4 5 4
Vegetables 23 3 13 21 21 26 34
Green Leafy & Yellow 10 2 6 9 8 12 15
Other Vegetables 3 1 7 12 13 14 19
Fruits 31 7 16 30 30 37 41
Vitamin C-rich Fruits 4 3 2 3 5 5 4
Other Fruits 27 4 14 27 25 32 37
Miscellaneous 27 6 19 26 27 31 34
Beverages 26 6 18 25 26 30 32
Condiments and Others 1 n 1 1 1 1 2
• Six to 11 month-old infants consume an average of 3 grams vegetables and 7

grams fruits; one year-old children consume an average of 13 grams vegetables
and 16 grams fruits. These amounts are less than the recommended ¼ serving
size of vegetables and ½ medium-sized fruit a day for preschool-age children
(NGF, 2000).

1.1.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake
• The children’s mean one-day intake of dietary energy is 980 kilocalories, which is
about 83.0 % of the recommended amount for these children (RENI, 2000).
• The children’s mean one-day intake of protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and
ascorbic acid are more than 100% of the recommended. The mean intake of iron,
calcium, and vitamin A (in retinol equivalent) are less than 100% of the
recommended intakes (RENI, 2000).
83
Energy (kcal) 980
Protein (g) 31.5 102.8
Iron (g) 6.2 72.7
Calcium (g) 0.37 73.4
Retinol Eq. (mcg) 315.9 79
Thiamin (mg) 0.65 123.2

Niacin (mg) 10.4 163.8
Figure 6. Mean one-day and percent adequacy of energy and nutrient

intake of 6-month to 5 year-old children: Philippines, 2003
• The children’s mean one-day intake of dietary energy, protein, and niacin increase
with age, following the increasing intake of cereals as well as fish, meat and
poultry.
• The children’s mean one-day intake of calcium, riboflavin, as well as vitamin A,

decreases with age, following the decreasing intake of milk.

Table 13. Mean one-day and percent adequacy of energy and nutrient intake
of 6-month to 5 year-old children by age group: Philippines, 2003
Age Group
Food Group/Sub-Group
All 6-11 m 1y 2y 3y 4y 5y
Energy
Intake (kcal) 980 738 774 932 985 1080 1129
Percent Adequacy 83.0 102.5 72.3 87.1 92.1 76.6 80.1
Protein
Intake (g) 31.5 23.7 25.2 30.2 31.8 34.9 35.6
Iron (mg)
Intake 6.2 8.2 5.4 5.9 5.9 6.6 6.5
Vitamin A
Intake (mcg RE) 315.9 580.8 315.0 304.7 307.9 298.6 299.3
Calcium
Intake (g) 0.37 0.74 0.48 0.39 0.32 0.32 0.29
Thiamin
Intake (mg) 0.65 0.66 0.74 0.59 0.61 0.69 0.66
Riboflavin
Intake (mg) 0.74 1.12 1.08 0.74 0.65 0.64 0.60
Niacin
Intake (mg) 10.4 7.3 7.3 9.6 10.6 11.9 12.4
Ascorbic Acid
Intake (mg) 31.7 47.6 29.9 30.6 29.1 32.5 32.7
Carbohydrates
Intake (g) 160 103 119 152 162 179 192
Fats
Intake (g) 24 26 22 23 23 25 24
1.2 Pregnant women
1.2.1 Food Consumption
• The usual one-day food intake of Filipino pregnant women amounts to 810 grams
of various food groups, with rice, fish, and vegetables as the major components.

Table 14. Mean one-day and percent of total food intake of pregnant women: Philippines, 2003

Fats and Oils 13 1.6
Poultry 22 2.7
Eggs 12 1.5
Whole Milk 35 4.3
Milk Products 17 2.1
Vegetables 98 12.1
Fruits 71 8.8
Vitamin C-Rich Fruits 18 2.2
Other Fruits 53 6.6
Miscellaneous 17 2.1
Beverages 12 1.5
Condiments and Others 1 0.1
Others 4 0.5
Total 810 100.0
1.2.2 Energy and Nutrient Intake

• The pregnant woman’s one-day intake of dietary energy, protein, iron, calcium,
vitamin A (in retinol equivalent), thiamin, riboflavin and ascorbic acid on the
average do not meet the recommended amounts (RENI, 2000)
78.4
Energy (kcal) 1634
84.7
Protein (g) 55.9
Iron (g) 9.7 28.8
Calcium (g) 0.42 52.3
72.6
Retinol Eq. (mcg) 580.7
Niacin (mg) 20.3 112.7
Figure 7. Mean one-day and percent adequacy of energy and nutrient intake
of pregnant women: Philippines, 2003

1.3 Lactating Women
1.3.1. Food Consumption
• The usual one-day food intake of Filipino lactating women amounts to 799 grams of
various food groups with rice, fish and vegetables as the major components.
Table 15. Mean one-day and percent of total food intake

of lactating women: Philippines, 2003

Fats and Oils 9 1.1
Poultry 18 2.2
Eggs 8 1.0
Whole Milk 25 3.1
Milk Products 5 0.6
Vegetables 107 13.4
Fruits 45 5.6
Vitamin C-rich Fruits 7 0.9
Other Fruits 38 4.7
Miscellaneous 8 1.0
Beverages 7 0.9
Condiments and Others n n
Others 1 0.1
Total 799 100.0

1.3.2. Energy and Nutrient Intake
• The lactating woman’s one-day intake of energy, protein, iron, calcium, vitamin A
(in retinol equivalent), thiamin, riboflavin and ascorbic acid on the average do not
meet the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI, 2000)
Energy (kcal) 1759 75
Protein (g) 57.6 73.9
Iron (g) 9.6 33.4
Calcium (g) 0.41 55.2
Retinol Eq. (mcg) 500.2 55.6
Niacin (mg) 21.0 123.6
Figure 8. Mean one-day and percent adequacy of energy and nutrient intake
of lactating mothers: Philippines, 2003

Awareness and Usage of Fortified Foods and Iodized Salt
Are Filipino households aware of fortified foods? Do they consume/use fortified foods? Are their
salt iodized?
Information and data on the awareness and usage of fortified foods were gathered to provide
benchmark data on consumption of fortified foods for the purpose of monitoring the Food
Fortification Program. Food fortification is the addition of vitamins and minerals at the levels
above the natural state in processed foods that are widely consumed. This is done to correct or
prevent micronutrient deficiency, e.g., addition of iron, iodine, and vitamin A in instant noodles.
A face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire and pictures of food products with
“Sangkap Pinoy” Seal (SPS) were used in gathering the information. The potassium iodate test kit
was used in the rapid field test for the presence of iodine in salt used by the household.

1.1. Fortified Foods
• A low proportion of households, which is between 11.0% - 14.0% of total survey

households knows SPS-products and fortified food (FF)-products.
• Although awareness is low, the usage is high with 99.2 % of the total survey
households found consuming SPS-products.
Table 16. Percentage of households who know and consume SPS and FF-
products: Philippines, 2003
Total Survey
Information Yes No
Households
Consume SPS-products
• all survey households 5518 99.2 0.8
Know SPS-products (at least once)
• all households that know SPS-seal 842 65.4 34.6
Know FF-products (at least once)
• all households that know FF-products 1103 64.4 35.6
• The 10 most commonly consumed SPS- products among Filipino households is

shown in table below

Table 17. Ten most commonly consumed SPS-products among

households by frequency of consumption: Philippines, 2003
% of Households Consuming
Food Product (n=5456)
Daily At least once a week
Fruit Juices
“Tang” Instant Drink 13.5 30.2
“Eight O’clock” Instant Drink 9.0 25.3
Chocolate Drinks
“Ovaltine” Chocolate Powder Drink 12.9 -
Other Cereal Products
“Magic Flakes” Cracker Sandwich 10.4 39.9
Instant Mami Noodles
“Lucky Me” (pancit canton, chicken & egg/w/ kalamansi) 8.3 49.7
“Lucky Me” (chicken, beef) 7.8 47.9
“Maggi” Rich Mami Noodles - 30.0
“Payless” 6.6 35.0
Meat and Fish Products
“555” Sardines in Tomato Sauce - 46.3
Snack Foods
“Oishi” (kirei/prawn cracker/boogyman/rinbee/cheese 7.3 38.1
barrel)
“Jack n Jill (chiz curls/roller coaster/potato rings/Mr. Chips) - 28.0
Fats and Oils
“Minola” Premium Edible Oil 6.0 -
Condiments
“Papa” Banana Catsup 7.8 -
- No households consuming
1.2 Iodized Salt
• Majority of households nationwide are aware of iodized salt (79.5%), however,

among those who are aware, less than 50% claim to be users of iodized salt.
Table 18 Results of iodized salt survey: Philippines, 2003
Information/Data % of Households
Aware of iodized salt 79.5

Reported users of iodized salt during survey
• All survey households 38.1
• All households aware of iodized 47.9
salt
*n = 5520 all sample households
n = 4321households aware of iodized salt
n = 2098 households using iodized salt

FACTS AND FIGURES : Anthropometric
Part II. Anthropometric Facts and Figures

Anthropometry
How tall or short are the Filipinos? How much do they weigh? Are their
weights/heights normal? How many are underweight, obese, stunted, and thin?
Anthropometry is the assessment of the individual’s growth and nutritional status based on
measures of weight and height. In the Sixth NNS, a calibrated Detecto platform balance
weighing scale was used to measure the weight of subjects. The height of subjects who were
at least two years of age was measured using the Microtoise. For children who were less
than two years of age, recumbent length was measured using an infantometer.
The nutritional status of 0–10 year-old children was determined based on the anthropometric
indices shown in Table 19 and the NCHS/WHO International Reference Standard and cut-off
points (1995). The nutritional status of adolescents, adults and lactating mothers was based
on Body Mass Index (BMI), which is measured as weight (kg)/[height (m)]2, also using
International Reference Standards and cut-off points (Tables 20 and 21). The nutritional
status of pregnant women was based on the table on weight-for-height by month of
pregnancy that was developed by FNRI (Magbitang et al., 1988) and the cut-off points shown
in Table 22.
Table 19. Cut-off points used in classifying the children based on

NCHS/WHO Reference Standards for Growth
Index/Classification Cut-off Points
Weight-for-Age
Underweight <-2SD
Normal -2SD to +2SD
Overweight > +2SD
Height-for-Age
Underheight or short <-2SD
Normal -2SD to +2SD
Above Average/Tall > +2SD
Weight-for-Height
Thin <-2SD
Normal -2SD to +2SD
Overweight > +2SD
NEC*
*Not Elsewhere Classified - those whose heights are not in the weight-for-height tables

Table 20. Cut-off points used in classifying adolescents’ nutritional status of subjects
11-19 years based on BMI-for-age (Must, 1991)
Classification Cut-off Points
Underweight <P5
Mild P5 to < P15
Normal P15 to < P85
Overweight >P85
Table 21. Cut-off points used in classifying nutritional status of subjects 20 years and
over based on BMI (NCHS/WHO, 1978)
Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) <18.5

Normal 18.5 to <25.0
Overweight 25.0 to <30.0
Obese ≥30.0
Table 22. Cut-off points used in classifying nutritional status of pregnant women
based on weight-for-height (Magbitang, 1988)
Nutritionally at-risk <P95

Not Nutritionally at-risk >P95
Table 23. Cut-off points used in classifying lactating mothers based on BMI for adults
(NCHS/WHO, 1978) and BMI-for-age for adolescents (Must, 1991)
Lactating
Classification
Adolescent Adults
Underweight <P5 < P18.5

Mild P5 to < P15
Normal P15 to P85 18.5 to < 25.0
Overweight >P85 25.0 to < 30.0
Obese ≥ 30.0

1.1 Preschool-age children, 0 – 5 years old
• 72 in every 100 preschool children have normal weight-for-age, 27 in

every 100 are underweight and one in every 100 is overweight.
• 70 in every 100 children have normal height-for-age, 30 in every 100 are

short or underheight, and six in every 1,000 are tall for their age.
• 92 in every 100 children have normal weight-for-height, five in every 100

are thin, and two in every 100 are overweight for their height.
Table 24. Percentage distribution of 0–5 year-old children

by nutritional status: Philippines, 2003
Index/Classification Percent Distribution

(n=4111)
Weight-for-Age
Underweight 26.9
Normal 71.7
Overweight 1.4
Height-for-Age
Underheight 29.9
Normal 69.5
Above Average/Tall 0.6
Weight-for-Height
Thin 5.3
Normal 92.4
Overweight 2.1
NEC* 0.3
*Not Elsewhere Classified - those whose heights are not in the weight-for-height tables
Based on the NSO 2003 population projections, an estimated 3.2 million 0-5
year-old children are underweight, 3.4 million are underheight and 630,000 are
thin.
• 12 in every 100 children less than one year of age are underweight, 87
have normal weight-for-age, one out of 100 is overweight
• 30–32 in every 100 are underweight among the one, two, and three year-
olds; 67–69 have normal weight-for-age, and between one and two out
of 100 are overweight
• 27–29 in every 100 children among the four and five year-olds are
underweight; 69–71 have normal weight-for-age, two out of 100 are
overweight

• The proportion of underheight children also increases from eight in every

100 among the children less than one year of age, to 25 in every 100
among one year-old children.
• The proportion of underheight further increases to 32 in every 100

among the two year-olds and 36 to 38 in every 100 among the three, four
and five year-olds.
Table 25. Percentage distribution of 0–5 year-old children, by single age group and by
nutritional status based on weight-for-age and height-for-age: Philippines,
2003
Age Sample Percent Distribution by Weight-for-Age

(years) Size Underweight Normal Overweight
0 667 11.7* 87.0 1.3

1 664 31.2* 68.0 0.8
2 658 31.7* 67.4 0.9
3 741 29.6* 68.6 1.8
4 683 29.2* 69.2 1.7
5 698 27.3* 70.9 1.9
Percent Distribution by Height-for-Age
Underheight Normal Tall
0 667 8.2** 90.6 1.2

1 664 25.4* 74.2 0.4
2 658 31.8* 67.3 0.9
3 741 37.9* 61.8 0.3
4 683 36.4* 63.1 0.5
5 698 38.2* 61.2 0.6
* CVs < 10
** CVs > 10 but < 16
1.2 School-age children, 6 – 10 years old
• 73 in every one hundred 6–10 year-old children have normal weight-for-age,

26 in every 100 are underweight and one in every 100 is overweight.
• 64 in every one hundred 6–10 year-old children have normal height-for-age,

36 in every 100 are underheight and four in every 1,000 are tall for their age.
• 94 in every one hundred 6-8 year-old children have normal weight-for-height,

four are thin, and three in every 1,000 are overweight.

Table 26. Percentage distribution of 6–10 year-old children by nutritional
status: Philippines, 2003
Percent Distribution
Index/Classification
(n= 3,436)
Weight-for-Age
Underweight 25.6
Normal 73.1
Overweight 1.3
Height-for-Age
Underheight 35.8
Normal 63.7
Above Average/Tall 0.4
Weight-for-Height*
Wasted 3.5
Normal 93.9
Overweight 2.4
NEC 0.3
* 6–8 year-old children, n=2,032
** Not elsewhere classified - those whose height are beyond the limits of the weight-for-height tables
Based on the 2003 population projection from NSO, an estimated 2.4 million 6-10
year-old children are underweight and 3.3 million are underheight or short;
19,854 6–8 year-old children are thin.
• 26–27 in every 100 are underweight among the six, seven and
eight year-olds, 71 to 73 in every 100 have normal weight-for-
age, one to two out of 100 are overweight
• 24–25 in every 100 are underweight among the nine and 10

year-olds, 75 in 100 have normal weight-for-age, one to two
out of 100 are overweight
• 34-35 in every 100 among the six, seven and nine year-olds,
and 38 in every 100 among the eight and ten year-olds are
underheight.

Table 27. Percentage distribution of 6–10 year-old children by single age group
and by nutritional status based on weight-for-age and height-for age:
Philippines, 2003
Sample Percent Distribution by Weight-for-Age

Age Size
Underweight Normal Overweight
6 662 26.9* 71.8 1.4

7 698 26.8* 71.4 1.9
8 672 25.9* 72.9 1.2
9 696 24.8* 74.6 0.7
10 708 23.7* 74.8 1.5
Percent Distribution by Height-for-Age
Underheight Normal Tall
6 662 34.8* 64.5 0.7

7 698 34.2* 65.3 0.5
8 672 37.8* 61.8 0.4
9 696 34.6* 65.4 0.0
10 708 37.9* 61.5 0.6
*CVs < 10
** CVs > 10 but < 16
1.3 Trends in the nutritional status of children 0-10 years
Children 0-5 years old
• The proportion of underweight 0-5 year-old children declined by 7.6 percentage-

points between 1990 and 2003, from 34.5 % to 26.9 %, showing a reduction rate of
0.58 percentage-points a year during the period.
• The proportion of underheight among these children declined by 10 percentage-

points between 1990 and 2003, from 39.9 % to 29.9 %, showing a reduction rate of
• The proportion of thin in this group fluctuated between 5 to 5.3 % in 1990, 1996
and 2003, 6.6 % and 6.7 % in 1992 and 1993, and 6.0 % and 6.3 % in 1998 and
2001.
• The proportion of overweight-for-age of these children doubled between 1990 and

2003, from 0.6 % to 1.4 %.

50
39.9
40 36.8
34.3 34.5 34.0
31.4
% prevalence
30 34.5 34.0 29.9

32.0
29.9 30.8 30.6 26.9
20
10 6.6 6.7 6.0 6.3

5.0 5.2
5.3
0.6 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.4 1.0
0 1.4
1989-90 1992 1993 1996 1998 2001 2003
Underweight Stunting Wasting Overweight
Figure 9. Trends in the prevalence of malnutrition among 0–5 year-old

children: Philippines, 1989/90 – 2003
There is a more rapid change in the nutritional status of 0-5 year-old children from 1998 to
2003, than from 1990 to 1998.
• The proportion of underweight of these children declined by 5.1 percentage-points

in five years, from 32.0 % in 1998 to 26.9 % in 2003; presenting a reduction rate of
• The proportion of underheight of these children declined by 4.1 percentage-points,

from 34.0 % in 1998 to 29.9 % in 2003; presenting a reduction rate of 0.82
percentage-points a year.
• The proportion of thin 0–5 year-old children has declined from 6.0 % in 1998 to 5.3
% in 2003.
• The proportion of overweight-for-age among them more than tripled from 0.4 % to
1.4 %; the proportion of overweight-for-height in these children also more than
doubled from 0.9 % to 2.1 %.

Table 28. Trends in the nutritional status of 0–5 year-old children: Philippines,
1998, 2001 and 2003
Classification / Nutritional
1998 2001 2003
Status
Weight-for-Age
Underweight 32.0 30.6 26.9
Normal 67.6 68.4 71.7
Overweight 0.4 1.0 1.4
Height-for-Age
Underheight 34.0 31.4 29.9
Normal 65.7 68.0 69.5
Tall 0.4 0.5 0.6
Weight-for-Height
Thin 6.0 6.3 5.3
Normal 93.0 92.1 92.4
Overweight for Height 0.9 1.4 2.1
NEC 0.1 0.1 0.3
* Not elsewhere classified - those whose height are beyond the limits of the weight-for-height tables
• A reduction rate of no less than 0.87 percentage-points a year after 2003 is

necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target of 17.4 % in
2015.
Children 6-10 years old
• The prevalence of overweight for age among 6-10 year old children increased from
a zero rate in 1998 to a 1.3 prevalence rate in 2003.
• The prevalence of underweight among them decreased by 4.6 percentage points

from 1998 to 2003 indicating a reduction rate of 0.92 percentage-points a year.
• The prevalence of underheight in these children decreased by five percentage-

points from 1998 to 2003 indicating a reduction rate of one percentage-point a
year.
Table 29. Comparison in the prevalence of underweight and underheight among 6–10
year-old children: Philippines, 1998, 2001 and 2003
Classification / Nutritional
1998 2001 2003
Status
Weight-for-Age
Underweight 30.2 32.9 25.6
Normal 69.8 66.2 73.1
Overweight n 0.8 1.3
Height-for-Age
Underheight 40.8 41.1 35.8
Normal 59.2 58.7 63.7
Tall n 0.2 0.4
n - negligible

• The prevalence of underweight among 6–10 year-old children decreased by 8.6
percentage-points from 1989/90 to 2003 which means a reduction rate of 0.66
percentage-points a year.
• The prevalence of underheight among them decreased by nine percentage-points

from 1989/90 to 2003 which is a reduction rate of 0.69 percentage-points a year.
• The prevalence of overweight for age increased by 1.2 percentage points from
1989/90 to 2003.
50
44.8 42.8 42.2 40.8 41.1
39.1
40
35.8
% prevalence
30 34.2 32.5 32.9

30.5 30.2
28.3 25.6
20
10
0.1 0.2 0.6 0.4 n 0.8

0 1.3
1989-90 1992 1993 1996 1998 2001 2003
Underw eight Stunting Overw eight
Figure 10. Trends in the prevalence of malnutrition among 6–10 year-old

children: Philippines, 1989/90 – 2003
1.4 Adolescents, 11–19 years old
• The mean height of pre-adolescents, 11–12 years old, is 139.6 centimeters among
females, and 136.4 among males; the mean weight of the same group is 32.6
kilograms among females and 30.4 among males.
• The mean height of adolescents 13–19 years old is 150.4 centimeters among
females, and 157.2 among males; the mean weight of the same group is 44.6
kilograms among females, and 47.0 among males.

Table 30. Mean weight and height of adolescents, 11–19 years old,
by age group and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Male Female Both Gender

Age
Group Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean
(years) Weight Height Weight Height Weight Height
(kg) (cm) (kg) (cm) (kg) (cm)
11-12 30.40 136.40 32.60 139.61 31.47 137.96

13-19 47.03 157.21 44.36 150.36 45.75 153.94
All 42.88 152.01 41.36 147.62 42.15 149.91
• 49 in every 100 adolescents 11–12 years old, and 68 in 100 among the 13–19
year-old adolescents, have normal BMI.
• Among the 11–12 year-old adolescents, 26 in every 100 are underweight while four
in 100 are overweight. There are more males (31 in 100) than females (21 in 100)
among 11–12 year-old adolescents who are underweight, and also slightly more
males (five in 100) than females (three in 100) who are overweight.
• Among the 13–19 year-old adolescents, 12 in every 100 are underweight while
three in 100 are overweight. There are less underweight among females (six in
100) than males (17 in 100).
• Among male adolescents, underweight as well as overweight decreases with age;

among female adolescents, underweight decreases while overweight increases
with age.
Table 31. Percentage distribution of adolescents by gender, age and

nutritional status using BMI classification: Philippines, 2003
Mild Normal
Age Group Sample Underweight Overweight
P5th to P15th to
& Gender size < P5th > P85th
< P15th < P85th
Male
11-12 683 31.0* 21.5 42.6 4.9
13-19 1831 17.0* 21.5 58.5 2.9
All 2514 20.5* 21.5 54.6 3.4
Female
11-12 660 20.6* 19.3 56.7 3.4
13-19 1682 6.4* 11.5 78.2 3.9
All 2342 10.1* 13.5 72.7 3.8
Both
11-12 1343 25.9*` 20.4 49.4 4.2
13-19 3513 12.0* 16.7 67.9 3.4
All 4856 15.5* 17.7 63.2 3.6
* CVs < 10

1.5 Trends in the nutritional status of adolescents
• The prevalence of underweight decreased from 34.0 % in 1993 to 25.9 % in 2003

among the 11–12 year-old adolescents, with 4.1 percentage-points over 10 years.
(There is a decrease from 28.7% to 12.0 %, or 16.7 percentage-points during the
same period, among 13–19 year-old adolescents)
• The reduction in underweight prevalence was 20.6 percentage-points in 10 years

among female adolescents, and 9.3 percentage-points among the male
adolescents in the same period.
• The prevalence of overweight increased from 2.2 % in 1993 to 4.2 % in 2003

among the 11–12 year-old adolescents, or 2 percentage-points over 10 years.
Among the 13–19 year-old adolescents, overweight increased from 2.4 % in 1993
to 3.6 % in 2003, which means 0.9 percentage-points in 10 years.
• The increase in overweight prevalence was 1.6 percentage-points in 10 years

among female adolescents, and 0.8 percentage-point among the male adolescents
in the same period.
Table 32. Trends in the prevalence of underweight and overweight

among adolescents: Philippines, 1993 – 2003
Underweight Overweight
Gender/ Age 1993 1998 2003 1993 1998 2003
% Prevalence
Male
11 – 12 27.1 34.0 31.0 2.6 1.8 4.9
13 – 19 19.1 19.3 17.0 2.5 1.0 2.9
All 21.6 23.0 20.5 2.6 1.2 3.4
Female
11 – 12 19.2 27.2 20.6 1.5 3.2 3.4
13 – 19 5.9 12.9 6.4 2.5 5.2 3.9
All 9.5 16.4 10.1 2.2 4.7 3.8
Both
11 – 12 23.5 30.6 25.9 2.2 2.5 4.2
13 – 19 12.6 16.2 12.0 2.5 3.1 3.4
All 15.8 19.8 15.5 2.4 2.9 3.6

1.6 Adults, 20 years old and over

• The mean weight of male adults, 20–39 and 40–59 years old is 60.1 and 60.5
kilograms, respectively; their mean height is 163.5 and 162.6 centimeters,
respectively.
• The mean weight of female adults of the same age is 51.7 and 54.2 kilograms,
respectively; their mean height is 151.8 and 151.1 centimeters, respectively.
• The mean weight and mean height of adults 60 years of age and over, for both
males and females are generally lower than the younger and middle-aged adults.
The mean weight and mean height of elderly females with 48.3 kilograms and
148.0 centimeters, respectively; the mean weight and mean height of elderly males
are 53.7 kilograms and 160.0 centimeters, respectively.
Table 33. Mean weight and height of adults, 20 years old and over,
by age group and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Male Female Both Gender

Age Group
(years) Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean Mean
Weight Height Weight Height Weight Height
(kg) (cm) (kg) (cm) (kg) (cm)
20-39 60.09 163.49 51.68 151.76 56.44 158.41

40-59 60.52 162.61 54.21 151.11 57.28 156.70
60 and over 53.73 159.67 48.30 147.96 50.6 152.97
• 69 in every 100 adults, 20–39 years old, have normal BMI; the proportion with
normal BMI is lower among the middle-aged (40–59 years old) and older (60 years
old and over) adults: 59 and 58 in 100, respectively.
• 12 in 100 adults, 20 years of age and over, manifest Chronic Energy Deficiency
(CED). Twenty in every 100 adults, 20 years of age and over, are overweight to
obese.
• CED affects 11 in every one hundred adults 20–39 year-old adults, and 10 in one
hundred adults 40–59 years old. Among the older adults, 23 in 100 manifest CED.
• Overweight or obesity affects 21 in one hundred 20–39 year-old adults, 31 in 100

middle-aged adults, and 19 in 100 older adults.
• Between male and female adults, there are more underweight as well as more
overweight-obese among the latter. Fourteen in 100 female adults manifest CED
while 27 in 100 are overweight-obese (vis-à-vis 10 and 20 in 100, respectively,
among males).

Table 34. Percentage distribution of adults, 20 years old and over,
by BMI, by age and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Age Group CED Normal Overweight Obese

(Years) (<18.5) (18.5 to < 25.0) (25.0 to <30.0) (> 30.0)
Male 10.6* 68.5 17.9 3.0

Female 14.2* 58.5 21.6 5.7
Both Gender
20-39 10.6* 68.7 17.1 3.6
40-59 10.4* 58.7 25.1 5.7
60 and over 23.4* 57.5 15.8 3.3
All 12.3* 63.7 19.7 4.3
* CVs < 10
• Using the suggested cut-off points for determining risk to diabetes, hypertension,
and other co-morbidities related to coronary heart disease among Asian population
(WHO Expert consultation, 2004), less than one-half (47.3 %) of the Filipino adult
population are low-risk, 29.6 % are moderate risk and 10.7 % are high-risk to
develop metabolic diseases.
• More females have moderate to high risk to the same disorders than males.
Table 35. Percentage distribution of adults by age group and by nutritional

status based on BMI for Asian population: Philippines, 2003
Age Group CED Low Risk Moderate Risk High Risk

(Years) (<18.5) (18.5 to <23.0) (23.0 to 27.4) (>27.5)
20-39 10.6 53.0 27.4 9.1
40-59 10.4 40.6 34.9 14.1

60 and over 23.4 43.8 24.3 8.5
All 12.3 47.3 29.6 10.7
Table 36. Percentage distribution of adults by gender and by nutritional

status based on BMI for Asian population: Philippines, 2003
CED Low Risk Moderate Risk High Risk

Gender (<18.5) (18.5 to <23.0) (23.0 to 27.4) (>27.5)
Male 10.6 52.7 38.2 8.4

Female 14.2 41.5 31.0 13.2
All 12.3 47.3 29.6 10.7

1.7 Trends in the nutritional status of adults
• The prevalence of CED decreased from 13.9 % in 1993 and 13.2 % in 1998 to 12.3 %
in 2003, or a 1.6 percentage-point reduction in 10 years. This was about 4-5 %
decrease each five-year period between 1993 and 2003.
• Among the middle-aged and older adults, CED decreased by 4.1 and 5.7 percentage-
points, respectively, over the ten-year period. CED among the 20–39 years old adults
declined by a mere 0.4 percentage-point during the same period.
• The prevalence of overweight and obesity rose from 16.6 % in 1993 and 20.2 % in
1998, to 24.0 % in 2003, or a 7.4 percentage-point increase in ten years. This was a
steady 19.0 to 21.0 % increase each five-year period between 1993 and 2003.
• From 1993 to 2003, the proportion of overweight and obese increased by 6.3
percentage-points, 7.6 percentage-points, and 7.7 percentage-points among the 20–39
years, 40–59 years and 60 years old and over, respectively.
• The proportion of overweight and obese increased by 6.5 percentage-points among

male adults, and 8.7 percentage-points among female adults, over the ten-year period.
Table 37. Trends in the prevalence of underweight and overweight

among adults: Philippines, 1993 – 2003
CED Overweight/Obese
Gender/Age 1993 1998 2003 1993 1998 2003
% Prevalence
Male 11.5 11.1 10.6 14.4 17.0 20.9

Female 16.1 15.4 14.2 18.6 23.3 27.3
Both
20-39 11.0 11.2 10.6 14.4 18.5 20.6
40-59 14.5 12.0 10.4 23.2 25.3 30.8
60&over 29.1 25.4 23.4 11.4 14.6 19.1
All 13.9 13.2 12.3 16.6 20.2 24.0
1.8 Pregnant Women
• 73 in every 100 of the pregnant women are considered not nutritionally at-risk and 27
out of 100 are nutritionally at-risk.
Table 38. Percentage distribution of pregnant women, by weight-for-

height classification: Philippines, 2003
Classification Percent Distribution
Nutritionally at-risk (<P95) 26.6

Not Nutritionally at-risk (>P95) 73.4

1.9 Lactating Mothers
• 71 in every 100 of the lactating women are considered normal, 12 are underweight
and 18 are overweight for their height
Table 39. Percentage distribution of lactating mothers by

nutritional status: Philippines, 2003
Classification Percent Distribution
Underweight 11.7
Normal 70.7
Overweight 17.6
1.10 Trends in the Prevalence of Malnutrition of Pregnant Women and

Lactating Mothers
Pregnant Women
• The proportion of nutritionally at-risk pregnant women decreased by 4.1 % from

1998 to 2003 representing a decrease of 0.82 percentage points a year.
80
70
60
% prevalence
50
40 30.7
26.6
30
20
10
0
1998 2003
Figure 11. Comparison in the prevalence of nutritionally-at-risk pregnant
women: Philippines, 1998 and 2003
Lactating Mothers
• The prevalence of underweight among lactating mothers decreased by 1.5 % from
1998 to 2003 showing a decrease of 0.3 percentage point per year.
• The prevalence of overweight lactating mothers increased by 4.0 % from 1998 to
2003 or an average of 0.8 % increase per year. 1998
80
2003
70
60
% prevalence
50
40
30
17.6
20 13.2 13.6
11.7
10
0
Underweight Overweight
Figure 12. Comparison in the prevalence of underweight and overweight among

lactating mothers: Philippines, 1998 and 2003

2. At the Regional Level
2.1 Preschool-age children, 0-5 years-old
• Estimates of the proportion of underweight and underheight among the 0-5 year-old
children with the various indicators of reliability of estimates are shown in Table 39 and
40
• Based on the cut-off of reliability used by NSO, these regions with coefficient of
variation (CV) equal to 15% or more are unreliable estimates for the region
• The regions of Northern Mindanao, Davao, and CAR have CVs of more than 15%,
indicating that estimates of underweight have wide confidence intervals (CI).
Table 40. Estimates of the proportion of underweight among 0-5 year-old children, standard
error, confidence interval, margin of error, and coefficient of variation: Philippines,
2003
% 90% Confidence
Sample Under- Standard Interval Margin % CV
Region of Error
Size weight Error
LL UL
Philippines 4111 26.9 0.8 25.2 28.5 1.6 3.1
• Ilocos 227 28.9 4.2 20.6 37.1 8.2 14.5
• Cagayan Valley 182 34.1 3.3 27.6 40.6 6.5 9.7
• Central Luzon 325 21.7 2.3 17.1 26.2 4.6 10.7
• IV-A. CALABARZON 385 22.4 2.5 17.6 27.3 4.8 11.0
• IV-B. MIMAROPA 180 34.2 3.4 27.6 40.8 6.6 9.8
• Bicol 268 32.8 3.5 26.0 39.6 6.8 10.5
• Western Visayas 252 32.6 3.3 26.1 39.1 6.5 10.1
• Central Visayas 278 29.4 3.5 22.7 36.0 6.6 11.5
• Eastern Visayas 263 29.9 3.0 24.1 35.7 5.8 9.9
• Zamboanga Peninsula 169 31.5 3.5 24.7 38.4 6.8 11.0
• Northern Mindanao 176 24.3 4.3 15.8 32.9 8.5 17.9
• Davao 192 22.6 3.6 15.5 29.8 7.2 16.1
• SOCCSKSARGEN 229 30.3 3.1 24.3 36.3 6.0 10.1
• CARAGA 221 30.2 3.0 24.3 36.0 5.8 9.8
• NCR 396 17.8 2.5 12.9 22.7 4.9 14.0
• CAR 152 16.3 3.2 9.9 22.6 6.3 19.8
• ARMM 216 34.0 3.2 27.9 40.2 6.2 9.3

• Among the regions, Northern Mindanao, Davao and MIMAROPA have CVs of more than
15% indicating that estimates have wide confidence intervals
Table 41. Estimates of the proportion of underheight among 0-5 year-old children, standard error,
confidence interval, margin of error and coefficient of variation: Philippines, 2003
% 90% Confidence
Region of Error
Size height Error
LL UL
Philippines 4111 29.9 0.9 28.1 31.7 1.8 3.0
• Ilocos 227 28.6 2.9 22.9 34.2 5.6 10.0
• Cagayan Valley 182 35.4 4.4 26.7 44.1 8.7 12.5
• Central Luzon 325 18.3 2.6 13.1 23.5 5.2 14.4
• IV-A. CALABARZON 385 22.7 2.8 17.2 28.2 5.5 12.3
• IV-B. MIMAROPA 180 32.5 5.0 22.8 42.2 9.7 15.3
• Bicol 268 29.8 2.9 24.1 35.6 5.7 9.8
• Western Visayas 252 35.8 3.4 29.0 42.5 6.8 9.6
• Central Visayas 278 36.6 3.4 30.8 43.3 6.7 9.3
• Eastern Visayas 263 37.8 3.8 30.3 45.4 7.6 10.2
• Northern Mindanao 176 29.3 4.7 0 38.6 9.3 16.1
• Davao 192 31.4 4.9 21.8 41.1 9.7 15.7
• SOCCSKSARGEN 229 41.2 5.1 31.3 51.1 9.9 12.3
• CARAGA 221 32.2 3.6 25.2 39.2 7.0 11.1
• NCR 396 22.0 2.8 16.6 27.5 5.5 12.6
• CAR 152 30.0 4.0 22.1 37.9 7.9 13.4
• ARMM 216 35.9 2.7 30.5 41.2 5.3 7.5
2.2 School-age children, 6-10 years-old
• The regions of Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Northern Mindanao, Davao,
NCR and ARMM have CVs of more than 15%, which indicates that estimates have
wide confidence intervals and data are not reliable at the regional level.
• On the other hand, all estimates of underheight in all the regions have CVs less than
15%, hence data are reliable at the regional level.

Table 42. Estimates of the proportion of underweight among 6-10 year-old children, standard error,
confidence interval, margin of error and coefficient of variation: Philippines, 2003
% 90% Confidence
Region of Error
Size height Error
LL UL
Philippines 3436 25.6 0.9 23.8 27.3 1.8 3.5
• Ilocos 201 28.8 3.5 22.0 35.6 6.8 12.0
• Cagayan Valley 164 19.5 3.9 11.9 27.1 7.6 19.7
• Central Luzon 275 17.7 2.8 12.3 23.1 5.4 15.6
• IV-A. CALABARZON 280 22.5 2.5 17.5 27.5 5.0 11.3
• IV-B. MIMAROPA 176 32.2 4.9 22.6 41.9 9.6 15.2
• Bicol 205 36.1 3.7 28.8 43.4 7.3 10.3
• Western Visayas 221 30.8 3.4 24.1 37.4 6.7 11.0
• Central Visayas 262 25.0 3.6 17.9 32.1 7.1 14.5
• Eastern Visayas 225 35.0 4.3 26.5 43.4 8.5 12.3
• Davao 150 22.3 3.4 15.7 28.8 6.6 15.1
• SOCCSKSARGEN 195 29.7 2.7 24.5 35.0 5.2 9.0
• CARAGA 186 31.7 3.9 24.1 39.3 7.6 12.2
• NCR 285 15.7 2.4 11.0 20.5 4.8 15.4
• CAR 132 21.7 4.4 13.1 30.3 8.6 20.2
• ARMM 185 23.7 4.1 15.6 31.8 8.1 17.5

Table 43. Estimates of the proportion of underheight among 6-10 year-old children, standard
error, confidence interval, margin of error and coefficient of variation: Philippines,
2003
% 90% Confidence
Sample Under- Stan-dard Interval Margin of % CV
Region Error
Size weight Error
LL UL
Philippines 3436 35.8 1.0 33.8 37.9 2.1 2.9
• Ilocos 201 26.9 3.0 20.9 32.8 5.9 11.2
• Cagayan Valley 164 30.0 4.1 21.9 38.0 8.1 13.7
• Central Luzon 275 23.4 2.8 18.0 28.9 5.5 11.9
• IV-A. CALABARZON 280 26.3 2.7 21.0 31.6 5.3 10.2
• IV-B. MIMAROPA 176 41.9 5.5 31.1 52.7 10.8 13.1
• Bicol 205 41.4 4.8 32.0 50.7 9.3 11.5
• Western Visayas 221 43.1 3.9 35.3 50.8 7.7 9.2
• Central Visayas 262 39.4 4.4 30.8 48.0 8.6 11.1
• Eastern Visayas 225 50.4 4.9 40.8 60.0 9.6 9.7
• Davao 150 39.2 5.9 28.2 50.3 11.0 14.3
• SOCCSKSARGEN 195 42.4 4.8 32.9 51.9 9.5 11.4
• CARAGA 186 46.3 4.0 38.4 54.1 7.9 8.7
• NCR 285 25.5 3.0 19.6 31.5 5.9 11.8
• CAR 132 37.3 5.5 26.4 48.2 10.9 14.9
• ARMM 185 37.7 4.2 29.4 46.0 8.3 11.2

FACTS AND FIGURES: Biochemical
Part III. Biochemical Facts and Figures

Biochemical Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Population Groups
The Biochemical Survey of the 6th NNS involved the collection of blood and urine from 10,043
individuals in sample households for anemia, 9,894 individuals in the sample households for
vitamin A deficiency and 6,432 individuals in the same sample households for iodine
deficiency. Specifically, anemia and vitamin A deficiency were assessed among 6 months to
12 years old children, pregnant women and lactating mothers; iodine deficiency among 6 –
12 years old children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. The biochemical assessment
detects existing malnutrition, particularly iron, vitamin A and iodine deficiencies, even prior to
the appearance of clinical signs.
Capillary blood samples were collected by finger prick from infants and children 6 months to
12 years and lactating mothers while venous blood was collected from pregnant women.
Hemoglobin was measured to reflect the presence or absence of anemia in the field by the
cyanmethemoglobin method (ICSH, 1978) using a portable spectrophotometer. Plasma was
separated from red cells by centrifugation and kept frozen in liquid nitrogen tanks or in ice
chests with dry ice in the field and while in transit to the FNRI laboratory where it is kept in -
20◦C freezer until analyzed. Vitamin A was determined by HPLC (Furr et al, 1992). Zinc
levels in the blood was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) (Smith et
al.,1979; Butrimovitz & Purdy 1977).
Casual urine samples were collected from children 6-12 years and pregnant and lactating
women and were kept cold in an ice chest in the field and while in transport to FNRI where it
is kept frozen until analyzed. The acid digestion method of Dunn et al (1993) was used for the
determination of urinary iodine excretion.
Is Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) a serious public health problem among Filipino infants,
children, pregnant and lactating women?
The presence of anemia is one indication of the individual’s iron status, iron deficiency being
a major cause of anemia (WHO, 2001). Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) occurs if the amount of
iron ingested from food and absorbed in the body is too little to meet the body’s demands.
This may also be due to chronic blood loss, and/or increased iron requirements, as occurring
during pregnancy or during the period of growth. The consequences of IDA are decreased
physical development, long-term cognitive impairment and poor growth among infants, poor
school performance among school-age children, risk of low birthweight infants, and increased
maternal mortality among pregnant women (WHO, 2001).
By the FNRI method of choice, anemia is assessed based on hemoglobin (Hb) and the
magnitude and severity of anemia is determined based on the FAO/WHO criteria (Tables 44
and 45).
Table 44. Hemoglobin levels below which anemia may be considered to be present
(WHO, 1972)
Age and Physiological State Normal Hb Level (g / dL)
Children:
6 months – 6 years 11.0
6.1 – 14 years 12.0
Pregnant Women 11.0
Lactating Women 12.0

Magnitude
Parameters
High Moderate Low
Percent of population with Hb less than the above
cut-off points especially women and children > 40 10-39 1-9
Percent of population with Hb less than 7g/dL

> 10 1-9 <1
especially women and children
Table 45. Epidemiological criteria for assessing severity and magnitude of nutritional
anemia in population groups
1.1 Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA)
• The over-all prevalence of anemia among Filipino children, 6 months to 5 years of

age, is 32.4 %; or three out of every 10 children are anemic.
• Using NSO population projections, there are four million young children, 6 months
to 5 years of age who are at increased risk to decreased physical development,
long term cognitive impairment and poor growth.
• Within this age group, anemia among the infants 6–11 months (66.2%) and one
year-old children (53%) are of high magnitude.
• The prevalence of anemia among children 6–12 years of age is 37.4 %; or nearly 4
in every 10 children of this age are anemic.
• The prevalence of anemia among pregnant women is 43.9 %; or four out of 10

pregnant women are anemic.
• The prevalence of anemia among lactating mothers is 42.2 %; or four out of 10

lactating mothers are anemic.
66.2 6mos - < 1y

29.1 1 – 5y
53.0 1y – 1y 11mos
34.8 2y – 2y 11mos
24.8 3y – 3y 11mos
18.8 4y – 4y 11mos
14.7 5y – 5y 11mos
32.4 6mos – 5y
37.4 6y – 12y
43.9 Pregnant women
42.2 Lactating women
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Prevalence of anemia in percent
Figure 13. Prevalence of anemia by specific population group: Philippines, 2003

1.2 Trends in the Prevalence of Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA)
• The prevalence of anemia among infants (6-11 months) has been significantly
increasing from 49.2 % in 1993 to 56.6 % in 1998 to 66.2 % in 2003.
• The prevalence rates among children 1-5 years old decrease except among children
aged three years where prevalence slightly increases from 23.4 % in 1998 to 24.8 %
in 2003.
• The prevalence of anemia among 6-12 years old children decreased from 42.0 % in
1993 to 35.6 % in 1998, then increased to 37.4 % in 2003.
• There has been a decreasing prevalence of anemia between 1998 and 2003 among
pregnant women (50.7% to 43.9%) and lactating mothers (45.7% to 42.2%).
70 66.2 1993
56.6
1998
60
49.2
2003
50.7
50 45.7
42.0 43.6 43.9 43.0 42.2
35.6
40 37.4
29.6
25.7 29.1
30
20
10
0
6mos- <1y 1y - 5y 6y - 12y Pregnant Lactating
Figure 14. Trends in the prevalence of anemia by specific population

group: Philippines, 1993 to 2003
Table 46. Comparison in the prevalence of anemia of 1-5 year- old children
by age: Philippines, 1998 and 2003
Age Prevalence of Anemia in Percent

(years) 1998 2003
1 53.2 53.0
2 36.9 34.8
3 23.4 24.8
4 20.0 18.8
5 18.2 14.7
Is Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) widespread in the country? What are the VAD
prevalence rates among Filipino children, pregnant and lactating women? Has there
been changes in the vitamin situation among these groups from the previous years?

The lack of vitamin A may result in xerophthalmia (dryness of the eye), night blindness
(inability to see in dim light), sensitivity of eyes to bright light, and blindness in severe
cases; rough dry skin and membranes of nose and throat; poor resistance to disease; poor
growth,.
Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) may be detected biochemically as deficient to low plasma

retinol level. The WHO/UNICEF/HKI/IVACG (1982) Guidelines was used for the
interpretation of plasma retinol levels (Table 47) while the WHO/UNICEF/HKI/IVACG
(1982) criteria were used to assess the public health significance of the VAD problem
(Table 48).
Table 47. Guidelines used for the interpretation of vitamin A biochemical data
(WHO/UNICEF/HKI/IVACG, 1982)
Level Plasma Retinol

µg/dL µmol/L
Deficient < 10 < 0.35
Low 10 – 19 0.35 – 0.69
Acceptable 20 – 49 0.70 – 1.74
High > 50 > 1.75
Table 48. Criteria for assessing the public health significance of VAD in the community
based on plasma retinol level (WHO/UNICEF/HKI/IVACG, 1982)
Criterion
Plasma Retinol (Vit A) less than 10 µg/dL / 0.35

µmol/L (Deficient)
Plasma Retinol (Vit A) less than 20 µg/dL / 0.70

µmol/L (Deficient to Low)
1.3 Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD)
• The prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among Filipino pre-school children aged 6

months to 5 years old is 40.1%, or four out of 10 children are vitamin A deficient.
• VAD is a significant public health problem among Filipino pre-school children.
• Using NSO population projections, there are five million young children, 6 months
to 5 years of age, who are at increased risk to infectious diseases, xerophthalmia
and nightblindness, among others.
• VAD is also a significant public health problem among school children 6–12 years
of age, with prevalence rate of 36 %.
• The prevalence of VAD among pregnant and lactating women is 17.5 % and 20.1
% respectively.

4.2 15.9 70.7 9.2
Lactating
2.5 15.0 70.4 12.1
Pregnant
7.0 29.0 62.5 1.7
6yrs - 12yrs
Deficient
Low
8.5 58.5 1.4
Acceptable
31.6
High
6mos - 5yrs
8.5 30.8 59.2 1.5
1yr - 5yrs
8.2 38.8 52.7 0.3
6 mos - <1yr
Figure 15. Percentage distribution of VAD, by age and by specific

population group: Philippines, 2003
1.4 Trends in the Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD)
• The prevalence of VAD has been increasing among children five years of age and
below, from 35.3 % 1993 to 38.0 % in 1998 and 40.1 % in 2003.
• The prevalence of VAD has been increasing in larger magnitude (9.5 %-points)
among infants 6 months to less than one year of age, from 37.5 % in 1993 to 42.2
% in 1998, and 47.0% in 2003, than among children 1 year to 5 years of age
(3.7%-points), from 35.6% in 1993 to 37.6% in 1998 and 39,3% in 2003.
• The prevalence of VAD among pregnant women has decreased to 17.5 % in 2003
from 22.2 % in 1998, but remains a significant public health problem.
• Among lactating mothers, the prevalence of VAD has increased from 16.5 % in
1998 to 20.1 % in 2003, remaining a problem of public health magnitude.

50 47.0 1993
45 42.2
39.3 40.1 1998
37.6 38.0
40
2003
35
30
25 22.2
20.1
20 17.5 16.5
15
10
5
0
6mos-<1y 1-5y 6mos-5y Pregnant Lactating
Figure 16. Comparison of the prevalence of deficient and low levels of vitamin A
among specific population groups: Philippines, 1993, 1998 and 2003
Is Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD) among Filipino children, pregnant and lactating
women a public health concern?
Iodine deficiency is a common cause of preventable mental retardation. It also affects

mothers’ reproductive functions and impedes children’s learning ability.
Universal salt iodization (USI) is the recommended strategy to eliminate iodine deficiency
disorders (IDD) in a population. USI can ensure optimal population iodine nutrition and
protect generations of newborns from brain defect due to iodine deficiency.
Table 49. Epidemiological criteria for assessing iodine nutrition based on median
urinary iodine concentrations in school-aged children
(WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD, 2001)
Median Value Iodine Intake Iodine Nutrition

(µg/L) (µg/d)
< 20 Insufficient Severe iodine deficiency

20 - 49 Insufficient Moderate iodine deficiency
50 - 99 Insufficient Mild iodine deficiency
100 - 199 Adequate Optimal
200 - 299 More than adequate Risk of iodine-induced hyperthyroidism
within 5-10 years following introduction of
iodized salt in susceptible groups
>300 Excessive Risk of adverse health consequences
(iodine induced hyperthyroidism,
autoimmune thyroid diseases)
According to ICCIDD the indicator of iodine deficiency “elimination” in a population

(community?) is a median urinary iodine concentration of 100ug/L and not more than 20 %
of urine samples in the population have values < 50ug/L.

1.5 Prevalence of Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD)
• The median urinary iodine excretion (UIE) among children 6–12 years of age is 201
ug/L, corresponding to a population iodine intake that is “more than adequate.”
11.4 % of the children had UIE of < 50 ug/L.
• Using NSO population projections, there are one and a half million school children,
6 – 12 years of age who are at risk of mental retardation.
• The median UIE among pregnant women is 142 ug/L indicating adequate iodine
intake and an “optimal” iodine nutrition; 18.0 % had values < 50 ug/L
• The median UIE level among lactating women is 111 ug/L indicating adequate
iodine intake and an “optimal” iodine nutrition; 23.7% had values <50 ug/L
Table 50. Median and percentage distribution of urinary iodine excretion (UIE) levels by
age and by specific population groups: Philippines, 2003
Age/Physiological UIE (µg/L)

State Median < 20 20–49 50–99 > 100
Children, 6-12yrs 201 4.0 7.4 12.4 76.2
Pregnant Women 142 7.2 10.8 18.4 63.5
Lactating Women 111 9.3 14.4 22.7 53.6
1.6 Comparison in the Prevalence of Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD)

Among 6 -12 Year Old Children
• The median UIE among children 6-12 years of age has significantly increased from
71 µg/L in 1998 to 201 µg/L in 2003.
• The proportion of children with UIE < 50 µg/L has decreased significantly from 35.8
% in 1998 to 11.4 % in 2003.
40 35.8
NNS 1998
35 29.6 NNS 2003
30
25 20.8
20
17.3 UIE, µg/L 16.2
11.4 12.4 12.7 14.3
15 11.9 13.2
10
4.5
5 0.9 0.1
0
<50 50-99 100-149 150-199 200-249 250-299 =>300

Figure 17. Frequency distribution of urinary iodine excretion among 6-12

year-old children: Philippines, 1998 and 2003
Is zinc deficiency among preschool children a public health problem in the country?
Zinc deficiency is one of the major causes of growth retardation among preschool children
(Horz & Brown, 2004). It also contributes to increased rates of infections like diarrhea and
pneumonia and leads to cognitive function and memory impairment.
The IZiNCG suggested guidelines were used to determine the prevalence of deficiency and
public health significance ( Table 52).
Table 51. Suggested lower cut-off for zinc deficiency ((Hotz & Brown, 2004)
Age Group
Children <10 yrs Serum Zinc Concentration (µg/dL)
Deficient 65
Table 52. Suggested guidelines for publicv health concern (Hotz & Brown, 2004)
Prevalence
Low <5
Moderate 5 - < 10
Moderately High 10 – 20
High > 20
1.7 Prevalence of Zinc Deficiency
• The over-all mean zinc concentration was 102.6 ± 0.9µg/dL (104.0 ± 1.2 µg/dL and
100.9 ± 1.2µg/dL for the males and females
• The over-all prevalence of zinc deficiency was 9.8% (10.6% and 9.1 % for the
males and females, respectively) considered moderate.
• The 4 year old children had the highest prevalence of deficiency at 13.7% and is
considered moderately high.
• Escept for infants aged 6 mos - < 1 y and the 4 year old children, the 1, 2, 3, and 5
year old male children had higher prevalence of zinc deficiency compared to their
female counterparts.

Table 53. Mean plasma zinc and percent deficiency by age among 6 – 71
months old pre-school children.
Age group/sex No. of subjects Plasma zinc % deficiency

X ± se (µg/dL) (95% CI )
6-11 months 161 105.0 ± 3.2 9.1 (4.9 – 13.3)

1 year 268 103.4 ± 2.2 10.1 (6.6 – 12.9)
2 years 303 103.9 ± 2.1 8.2 (5.3 – 11.2)
3 years 368 100.1 ± 1.8 9.1 (6.1 – 12.0)
4 years 364 101.3 ± 2.1 13.7 (7.7 – 17.6)
5 years 415 102.5 ± 1.7 8.5 (5.6 – 11.6)
All children 1879 102.6 ± 0.9 9.8 (8.5 – 11.2)
16
Male
13.9
14 13.4 Female
12 11.1 11.3
Prevalence (%)
10.6
9.7
10 8.7 8.4 8.6 9.3 9.1
7.8 7.9
8 6.9
6
4
2
0
<1 1 2 3 4 5 All
Age (yrs)
Figure 18. Prevalence of zinc deficiency by age and gender: Philippines 2003

FACTS AND FIGURES: Clinical
Part I. Clinical Facts and Figures

National Nutrition and Health Survey
(NNHes 2003-2004)

Nutrition-Related Risk Factors to Non-Communicable Diseases among Filipino
Adults
Non-communicable diseases have been on the rise. This has been linked to lifestyle
factors, including diet, physical activity and environment. Household diets, an important
risk factor, has been reported in the preceding section.
The National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHeS), was a component of the 6th NNS that
looked into nutrition-related risk factors to non-communicable diseases (NCD) among
Filipino adults. Anthropometry, biochemical and clinical assessments were done among
adults in the sample households, including the determination of clinical obesity based on
waist-hip ratio and waist circumference, measurement of measurement of fasting blood
glucose, lipid profile, microalbuminuria, ankle brachial index and ECG, among others.
Smoking, physical inactivity, symptoms and risk factors were determined from interviews.
What is the prevalence of android obesity among adult Filipinos? Are there as many
obese male adults compared to females?
Android obesity is a significant risk factor to NCDs. This is indicated by the extent of
abdominal fat in the subject. Waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) are
measures of abdominal fat.
Waist circumference is measured by positioning a tape measure horizontally halfway
between the lower rib cage and the superior anterior iliac crest.
Table 54. Assessment criteria for obesity using waist circumference (WC)*
Gender Clinical Thresholds for High WC
Male > 102 cm (~40 inches)

Female > 88 cm (~35 inches)
*Based on WHO
Waist-hip-ratio is computed by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference.

The hip circumference is measured by positioning the tape measure around the hips at
approximately four (4) inches down from the waistline or at the level of great trochanter.
Table 55. Assessment criteria for obesity using waist-hip ratio (WHR)*
Gender WHR Considered for Upper Body

Obesity or Android Obesity
Male > 1.0
Female > 0.85
*Based on WHO

1.1 Waist Circumference (WC)

• Using waist circumference, the prevalence of obesity among female adults with
waist circumference (WC) of > 88cm is 17.0 %; 2.4 % of the male adults have WC
of > 102cm.
• For both male and female, the prevalence of high WC peaks at 50 to 59 years.
Table 56. Percentage distribution of subjects according to waist

circumference by age and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Male Female
Age (years) <90 cm 90-101 ≥ 102 <80 80-87 ≥ 88
All 82.3 15.3 2.4 64.9 18.1 17.0
20-29 91.6 7.7 0.7 82.1 8.8 9.0
30-39 81.9 15.9 2.2 70.8 18.7 10.5
40-49 72.4 23.5 4.1 53.4 25.1 21.5
50-59 72.6 22.6 4.8 44.1 23.0 32.9
60-69 80.4 16.5 3.1 57.0 22.6 20.4
> 70 88.4 10.6 1.0 63.2 16.8 20.0
1.2 Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR)

• Using waist-hip ratio, the prevalence of android obesity is 12.1 % for males and
54.8 % for females.
• Android obesity is most prevalent among the 60-69 years old males at 20.8 % and
among the 50-59 year-old age group females at 70.0 %
Table 57. Percentage distribution according to waist-hip ratio (WHR) by age

and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Male Female
Age (years) < 0.90 0.90 – 0.99 > 1.0 < 0.80 0.80 – 0.84 > 0.85
All 40.6 47.3 12.1 15.8 29.4 54.8

20-29 58.1 35.9 6.0 27.5 33.8 38.7
30-39 39.8 48.5 11.7 12.8 37.6 49.6
40-49 27.3 57.6 15.1 9.5 24.2 66.2
50-59 21.2 58.0 18.8 9.0 21.0 70.0
60-69 30.3 50.9 20.8 13.6 22.0 64.4
> 70 39.9 46.4 13.7 17.8 20.2 62.0
Comparison in the Prevalence of High Waist Circumference among Adults
• Among women, the prevalence of high waist circumference almost doubled from
10.7 % in 1998 to 17.0 % in 2003.
• There is a slight decrease in the prevalence of high waist circumference among
males from 2.7 % in 1998 to 2.4 % in 2003

25 1998
2003
20 18.3
Prevalence
15
10.7
10
5 2.7 2.4
0
Male Female
Figure 19. Comparison of the prevalence of high waist circumference

among adults by gender: Philippines, 1998 and 2003
Comparison of the Prevalence of Android Obesity among Adults
• Among male adults, an increase in the prevalence of android obesity was observed
from 7.9 % in 1998 to 12.1 % in 2003.
• Among female adults, the prevalence of android obesity increased from 39.5 % in
1998 to 54.8 % in 2003.
70 1998
2003
60 54.8
50
39.5
Prevalence
40
30
20
12.1
7.9
10
0
Male Female
Figure 20. Comparison of the prevalence of android obesity by gender:

Philippines, 1998 and 2003

What are the Filipino adults’ cholesterol and triglyceride levels? Do their levels of
lipids differ among age groups and gender?
Blood Lipids and Heart Health
The abnormal amount of blood lipids is a risk factor to the rapid development of
atherosclerosis (or hardening of the arteries) and premature heart disease (NGF 2000)
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is found naturally in blood and in all body tissues.
The body manufactures some cholesterol and the rest comes from the diet. Not all
cholesterol in the body is bad. In fact, cholesterol is an essential component of many
tissues. However, when deposited in blood vessel walls, it may cause serious
complications.
In order for cholesterol to be transported in the blood, the molecule has to attach itself to a
lipoprotein molecule. The cholesterol that is attached to high-density lipoproteins (or
HDL) is known as “good” cholesterol. This is because HDL cholesterol is carried away from
the tissues to the liver to be metabolized and eliminated. The cholesterol that is attached to
low-density lipoproteins (or LDL) is “bad” cholesterol because this is carried to the
tissues where it may be deposited and stored, forming plaques.
Triglycerides are another type of fat that circulates in the blood.
Table 58. Blood lipid classification*
Total LDL- HDL- Triglycerides Fasting Blood

Classification Cholesterol Cholesterol Cholesterol (mg/dL) Sugar or Glucose
(mg/dL) (mg/dL) (mg/dL) (FBS) (mg/dL)
Desirable < 200 < 130 > 60 < 200 < 110
Borderline 200 – 239 130 – 159 40 – 59 200 – 399 110 – 125
High > 240 > 160 - > 400 > 125
Low - - < 40 - -
* WHO Technical Report # 727, 1985; NCEP Report, 1998
1.3 Lipid and Glucose Profiles
1.3.1Total Cholesterol
• The mean total cholesterol of Filipino adults is 184.4 mg/dL which is within the
desirable level for total cholesterol.
• The proportion of adults with total cholesterol of > 240 mg/dL is 8.5 %.
• Adults aged 50-59 years old have the highest mean total cholesterol at 201.7
mg/dL.
• The proportion of adults with total cholesterol of > 240 mg/dL is highest among
adults aged 50-59 years (19.9 %).
• The proportion of adults with high total cholesterol level (> 240mg/dL) is 5.8 % and
11.5 % among males and females respectively.

Table 59. Means and percentage distribution of adults according to total cholesterol
(mg/dL) levels by age group and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Gender Mean % Distribution By Total Cholesterol (mg/dL) Levels

/Age
(years) < 160 160-199 200-239 >240
Male 178.9 33.2 44.7 16.3 5.8

20-29 170.7 41.5 46.5 8.8 3.2
30-39 180.6 29.5 46.4 18.7 5.4
40-49 185.2 27.3 43.0 22.1 7.6
50-59 185.2 31.1 39.6 19.3 9.9
60-69 185.0 29.4 43.1 18.9 8.6
> 70 177.8 36.1 38.6 18.4 7.0
Female 190.3 24.2 41.5 22.9 11.5

20-29 173.9 38.0 46.6 12.0 3.4
30-39 182.5 26.3 49.4 17.2 7.1
40-49 195.9 15.6 40.7 32.0 11.6
50-59 215.0 13.5 24.8 33.7 28.0
60-69 208.6 14.3 30.0 34.5 21.2
> 70 209.1 11.9 33.6 33.6 20.8
Both 184.4 28.8 43.2 19.5 8.5

20-29 172.1 40.0 46.4 10.3 3.3
30-39 181.3 28.0 48.0 18.0 6.0
40-49 190.5 21.6 41.7 27.1 9.6
50-59 201.7 21.4 31.4 27.3 19.9
60-69 198.1 21.0 35.7 27.7 15.6
> 70 196.6 21.5 35.7 27.4 15.4

1.3.2. Low-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (LDL-c)

• The mean LDL-c of the adult population is 119.4 mg/dL.
• The proportion of adults with high LDL-c is 11.7 %. The distribution of adults
according to LDL-c levels by age reveals an increasing prevalence of high LDL-c
after age 50 years.
Table 60. Means and percentage distribution of adults according to LDL-c

levels by age and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Gender/Age Mean % Distribution by LDL-c (mg/dL) Levels

(years) < 130 130-159 160-189 > 190
Male 112.4 75.9 16.7 5.4 2.0

20-29 106.4 85.0 11.5 1.9 1.5
30-39 113.1 75.2 18.8 4.6 1.3
40-49 115.5 69.4 19.5 8.2 2.9
50-59 117.6 67.9 18.8 10.5 2.8
60-69 120.7 66.5 21.2 8.0 4.3
> 70 116.7 70.9 16.3 10.0 2.8
Female 126.8 60.8 23.0 10.7 5.4

20-29 112.8 79.4 15.4 3.7 1.5
30-39 121.1 70.5 19.4 6.7 3.4
40-49 131.2 51.6 30.8 11.4 6.1
50-59 147.6 33.0 30.3 24.0 12.7
60-69 141.2 41.7 28.6 19.9 9.9
> 70 141.6 41.7 29.1 19.5 9.8
Both 119.4 68.6 19.8 8.0 3.7

20-29 109.2 82.6 13.1 2.8 1.5
30-39 116.5 73.2 19.2 5.5 2.1
40-49 123.3 60.5 25.1 9.8 4.5
50-59 134.1 48.6 25.1 18.0 8.3
60-69 132.1 52.7 25.3 14.6 7.4
> 70 131.7 53.4 24.0 15.6 7.0

1.3.3. High-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL-c)
• The mean HDL-c is 41.4 mg/dL.
• The proportion of adults with high HDL-c (> 60 mg/dL) is 4.1 %.
• One out of two adults has low HDL-c level (< 40 mg/dL).
Table 61. Means and percentage distribution of adults according to HDL-

c levels by age and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Gender/Age Mean % Distribution by HDL-c (mg/dL) Levels

(years) < 40 40-59 > 60
Male 40.3 60.2 37.2 2.6

20-29 40.8 55.4 41.7 2.9
30-39 40.3 62.5 34.9 2.6
40-49 40.2 60.2 36.8 3.0
50-59 38.6 67.8 30.8 1.4
60-69 39.9 61.7 36.4 1.9
> 70 40.0 59.3 38.3 2.4
Female 42.6 47.7 46.5 5.8

20-29 43.2 44.4 47.7 7.9
30-39 42.1 49.7 45.9 4.4
40-49 42.8 48.6 46.0 5.4
50-59 42.4 44.8 50.0 5.2
60-69 42.1 52.7 42.0 5.3
> 70 42.4 50.5 44.1 5.4
Both 41.4 54.2 41.7 4.1

20-29 41.9 50.4 44.5 5.1
30-39 41.1 56.7 39.9 3.4
40-49 41.5 54.4 41.4 4.2
50-59 40.7 55.1 41.4 3.5
60-69 41.2 56.7 39.5 3.8
> 70 41.5 54.0 41.8 4.2

1.3.4. Triglycerides
• The mean triglyceride level among adults is 118.0 mg/dL.

• The proportion of adults with triglyceride level > 400mg/dL is 0.7%.
Table 62. Means and percentage distribution of adults according to

triglyceride levels by age and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Gender/Age Mean % Distribution by Triglycerides (mg/dL) Levels

(years) < 150 150-199 200-399 > 400
Male 130.5 73.5 13.6 11.8 1.1

20-29 115.6 79.8 11.6 7.9 0.8
30-39 135.7 69.6 15.5 14.2 0.7
40-49 147.1 66.8 15.6 15.3 2.3
50-59 145.1 67.2 15.1 15.9 1.7
60-69 121.6 80.3 10.7 7.9 1.2
> 70 105.6 90.1 5.0 4.6 0.3
Female 104.6 85.7 8.8 5.3 0.2

20-29 89.5 92.2 4.9 2.9 0
30-39 96.3 89.0 8.3 2.8 0
40-49 109.4 84.3 9.8 5.7 0.3
50-59 125.4 74.2 12.4 12.7 0.7
60-69 126.8 76.9 13.6 9.0 0.6
> 70 124.8 79.9 11.7 6.8 1.6
Both 118.0 79.4 11.2 8.7 0.7

20-29 104.4 85.4 8.6 5.6 0.4
30-39 118.0 78.2 12.3 9.1 0.4
40-49 128.6 75.4 12.7 10.6 1.3
50-59 134.2 71.1 13.6 14.1 1.2
60-69 124.6 78.3 12.4 8.5 0.8
> 70 117.3 83.9 9.0 5.9 1.1
1.3.5. Fasting Blood Sugar or Glucose (FBS)
Table 63. Fasting blood sugar or glucose classifications
Classification Fasting Blood Sugar or

Glucose (FBS) (mg/dL)
Desirable < 110
Borderline 110 – 125
High > 125
• The mean fasting blood sugar or glucose (FBS) of Filipino adults is 80.6 mg/dL.
• The proportion of adults with fasting blood sugar or glucose (FBS) of > 125 mg/dL
is 3.4 %.
• Distribution of glucose levels by age shows an increasing prevalence of diabetes
after age 40 years which peaks at age 50-59 years.

Table 64. Mean fasting blood sugar and prevalence of various levels of fasting
blood sugar by age and by gender: Philippines, 2003
Gender/Age Mean % Distribution by FBS Levels

(years) < 100 101 – 125 > 125
Male 80.0 93.6 3.2 3.2

20-29 74.9 97.4 1.7 0.9
30-39 78.8 95.5 2.3 2.2
40-49 84.5 90.2 4.6 5.2
50-59 90.4 83.9 7.4 8.6
60-69 82.8 90.2 4.8 5.0
> 70 81.5 90.9 4.2 4.8
Female 81.2 93.3 3.2 3.5

20-29 73.2 99.1 0.5 0.4
30-39 78.2 96.3 1.9 1.9
40-49 85.1 90.0 5.4 4.6
50-59 91.7 86.7 4.3 9.1
60-69 88.9 86.4 6.3 7.3
> 70 85.7 87.3 7.4 5.2
Both 80.6 93.4 3.2 3.4

20-29 74.2 98.1 1.2 0.7
30-39 78.6 95.8 2.1 2.0
40-49 84.8 90.1 5.0 4.9
50-59 91.2 85.4 5.7 8.9
60-69 85.7 88.1 5.6 6.3
> 70 84.2 88.7 6.2 5.1
What is the prevalence of hypertension in the Philippines? Does hypertension differ

by age or by gender?
Hypertension (HPN) or in common terms, high blood pressure (BP) is defined as a

condition where sustained systolic pressure is above 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure
is above 90 mmHg. It is classified according to stage of severity.
Table 65. Assessment criteria for blood pressure (BP) classification
Classification Systolic BP Diastolic BP

(mmHg) (mmHg)
Normal < 120 < 80

Pre-Hypertension 120-139 80-89
Hypertensive
Stage I 140-159 90-99
Stage II > 160 > 100
Source: Joint Nat. Com. On Detection Evaluation and Treatment of High blood Pressure (JNC VII)

1.4 Hypertension
• The prevalence of hypertension among Filipino adults is 22.5 %.
• About one out of five Filipino adults, 20 years and over is hypertensive.
• The prevalence of hypertension for males and females are 24.2 % and 20.8 %,
respectively.
• One out of four male adults and one out of five female adults are hypertensive.
• The prevalence of hypertension increases with age.
• Among 20-29 years old, two out of five are pre-hypertensive.
Table 66. Prevalence of various stages of hypertension by age and

by gender: Philippines, 2003
% Distribution by BP (mm/Hg) Classification

Gender/
Age (years) Pre- Hypertension Hypertension
Normal
Hypertension Stage I Stage II
Male 34.2 41.5 16.1 8.1

20-29 35.4 51.6 11.5 1.5
30-39 43.4 37.5 14.3 4.8
40-49 30.3 40.1 18.9 10.7
50-59 25.1 33.8 22.4 18.7
60-69 19.3 36.4 23.7 20.6
> 70 17.9 31.2 25.8 25.0
Female 48.9 30.4 12.4 8.4

20-29 72.9 23.4 2.8 0.9
30-39 59.9 32.0 6.6 1.5
40-49 42.1 34.9 14.2 8.9
50-59 25.4 34.9 24.0 15.8
60-69 21.2 31.8 25.2 21.8
> 70 13.9 26.8 27.1 32.2
Both 41.4 36.1 14.3 8.2

20-29 52.2 39.0 7.6 1.2
30-39 50.8 35.1 10.8 3.3
40-49 36.0 37.5 16.6 9.8
50-59 25.2 34.6 23.2 17.0
60-69 20.4 33.8 24.6 21.2
> 70 15.5 28.5 26.6 29.4

Trends in the Prevalence of Hypertension
• The prevalence of hypertension has not changed much from 1993 to 2003.
30
% prevalence
22.5
20 22.0
21.0
10
1993 1998 2003
Figure 21. Comparison of the prevalence of hypertension among Filipino

adults by gender: Philippines, 1993, 1998 and 2003
What is the prevalence of atherosclerotic diseases among Filipinos? Are these

diseases commoly found among males or females, young adults or the elderly?
1.5 Atherosclerotic Diseases
The NNHeS reports the prevalence of atherosclerotic disease in three major arterial beds
including the coronaries, the cerebral vessels, and the peripheral arterial arteries.
1.5.1 Coronary Arterial Disease
• The overall prevalence of Coronary Arterial Disease (CAD) based on previous

diagnosis is 1.8%
• As expected, the prevalence increases with age is higher among females
• Anginal symptoms are also common among women than men.

Table 67. Prevalence of Coronary Arterial Diseases (CAD) by age and gender,
based on previous diagnosis, and on the PHA Angina Questionnaire:
Philippines, 2003
Gender/Age Prevalence Based on Previous Prevalence Based on
(years) Diagnosis of CAD Questionnaire
Male 1.2 10.9
20-29 0.8 9.1
30-39 0.7 9.3
40-49 1.5 17.8
50-59 1.8 9.9
60-69 3.4 13.9
> 70 3.6 13.0
Female 2.4 14.1

20-29 0.0 7.7
30-39 2.2 14.2
40-49 2.4 22.5
50-59 3.9 11.6
60-69 5.7 23.0
> 70 5.4 13.9
Both 1.8 12.5
1.5.2 Stroke
• The prevalence of stroke based on previous diagnosis is 1.4%.
• Based on suggestive symptoms, the prevalence is 1.9%.
• Both rates increase with age and no significant differences between gender were
noted.
Table 68. Prevalence of stroke by age and gender, based on previous

diagnosis and on the PNA stroke Questionnaire: Philippines, 2003
Gender/Age Prevalence Based on Previous Prevalence Based on

(years) Diagnosis of Stroke Stroke Questionnaire
Male 1.3 2.1
20-29 0.3 0.6
30-39 0.0 1.0
40-49 0.9 2.8
50-59 3.2 3.1
60-69 6.1 7.5
> 70 9.1 8.4
Female 1.5 1.7

20-29 0.0 0.3
30-39 0.0 0.9
40-49 1.8 2.1
50-59 2.8 1.0
60-69 6.0 6.2
> 70 4.6 8.4
Both 1.4 1.9

1.5.3 Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
• The overall prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is 5.0%.
• Based on symptoms as determined by the claudication questionnaire, the

prevalence is 4.2%.
• Like angina, the prevalence peaks at the 4th decade of life.
• There is no significant gender differences noted.
Table 69. Prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Diseases (PAD by age and gender,
based on previous diagnosis of PAD, Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI), and
the Claudication Questionnaire: Philippines, 2003
Prevalence Based Prevalence Prevalence Based on

Gender/Age on Previous Based on ABI Claudication
(years) diagnosis of PAD (ABI < 0.9) Questionnaire
Male 0.2 2.9 4.5

40-49 0.3 1.2 6.5
50-59 0.0 4.0 2.5
60-69 0.1 5.9 6.3
> 70 0.0 10.5 5.0
Female 0.6 7.2 3.9

40-49 1.7 5.5 6.1
50-59 0.4 4.1 3.4
60-69 0.4 7.2 4.6
> 70 0.9 11.2 4.4
Both 0.4 5.0 4.2

FACTS AND FIGURES
Other Facts and Figures
National Nutrition and Health Survey

(NNHes 2003-2004)

Biochemical Facts and Figures
Distribution of Adults to Proteinuria, by Age and by Sex
Age(y) Both Sexes Male Female

Positive Negative Positive Negative Positive Negative
% % % % % %
20-29 1.9 98.1 1.8 98.2 2.2 97.8

30-39 3.8 96.2 3.3 96.7 4.3 95.7
40-49 5.2 94.8 6.9 93.1 3.5 96.5
50-59 6.5 93.5 6.7 93.3 6.3 93.7
60-69 6.7 93.3 8.6 91.4 5.1 94.9
> 70 8.3 91.7 12.6 87.4 5.5 94.5
Philippines 4.2 95.8 4.4 95.6 4.0 96.0
Distribution of Adults to Microalbuminuria, by Age and by Sex

Positive Negative Positive Negative Positive Negative
% % % % % %
20-29 12.9 87.1 11.5 88.5 14.5 85.5

30-39 16.6 83.4 14.1 85.9 19.7 80.3
40-49 21.1 78.9 22.3 77.7 19.9 80.3
50-59 23.2 76.8 25.8 74.2 21.0 79.0
60-69 29.2 70.7 25.7 74.3 32.1 67.9
> 70 28.8 71.2 28.4 71.6 29.0 71.0
Philippines 18.5 81.5 17.1 82.9 20.1 79.9

FACTS AND FIGURES
Predicted GFR (Glomerular Filtration Rate) Among Adults,

20 Years and Over by Age
Age (y) Predicted GFR Level (ml/min)

<15 15-29 30-59 60-89 ≥ 90
% % % % %
Males 0.3 0.1 1.7 20.8 77.2
20-29 0.0 0.1 0.0 10.1 89.8
30-39 0.3 0.0 0.7 14.7 84.3
40-49 0.6 0.0 1.7 30.9 66.8
50-59 0.0 0.0 2.4 27.9 69.7
60-69 0.4 0.2 6.9 44.5 48.1
> 70 0.9 0.9 13.7 58.9 25.6
Females 0.2 0.3 2.7 28.5 68.2

20-29 0.5 0.0 0.0 6.0 93.5
30-39 0.0 0.4 0.4 27.2 72.0
40-49 0.0 0.0 1.7 31.9 66.4
50-59 0.2 0.0 3.1 36.5 60.2
60-69 0.4 1.0 6.1 63.2 29.3
> 70 0.1 1.5 22.6 62.9 12.9
Philippines 0.2 0.2 2.2 24.6 72.8
Mean Predicted GFR (Glomerular Filtration Rate) Among Adults,

20 Years and Over by Age

Mean 95% CI Mean 95% CI Mean 95% CI
20-29 119.4 113.2-125.6 123.6 112.4-134.7 114.4 112.7-116.7

30-39 109.1 103.8-114.4 113.3 103.9-122.7 103.9 101.9-105.9
40-49 102.8 96.2-109.5 105.9 95.1-116.7 99.7 91.7-107.8
50-59 99.8 90.4-109.2 104.1 85.8-122.3 96.3 88.0-104.6
60-69 85.5 83.9-87.1 89.0 86.3-91.7 82.7 81.2-84.2
> 70 77.4 74.6-80.1 82.4 76.1-88.6 74.2 72.5-75.9
Philippines 106.8 103.8-109.7 111.7 106.4-117.0 101.5 99.5-103.5

Distribution of Estimated Creatinine Clearance Among Adults,
20 Years and Over, by Age
Age (y) Predicted GFR Level (ml/min)

<15 15-29 30-59 60-89 ≥ 90
% % % % %
Males 0.3 0.2 4.1 24.5 70.9

20-29 0.0 0.1 0.0 5.9 94.0
30-39 0.3 0.0 0.7 16.2 82.8
40-49 0.6 0.0 0.8 32.7 65.9
50-59 0.0 0.0 4.3 65.8 29.9
60-69 0.4 0.2 21.7 71.3 6.5
> 70 1.2 4.6 58.5 34.4 1.3
Males 0.3 0.2 4.1 24.5 70.9
Females 0.2 0.4 5.1 24.0 70.3
20-29 0.3 0.3 0.0 4.0 95.5
30-39 0.0 0.4 0.0 11.3 88.3
40-49 0.0 0.0 1.2 28.5 70.2
50-59 0.2 0.0 1.6 55.8 42.4
60-69 0.4 0.9 16.9 71.3 10.5
> 70 0.4 2.7 60.9 34.4 1.5
Philippines 0.2 0.3 4.6 24.2 70.6
Mean Estimated Creatinine Clearance Among Adults,


Mean 95% CI Mean 95% CI Mean 95% CI
20-29 121.2 116.9-125.4 120.2 112.9-127.6 122.3 119.2-125.3

30-39 111.8 107.7-116.0 111.5 104.2-118.8 112.3 109.9-114.6
40-49 101.1 96.6-105.6 101.0 92.2-109.7 101.3 98.7-103.8
50-59 91.1 85.3-96.9 88.8 78.4-99.1 93.0 86.6-99.5
60-69 70.1 69.1-71.2 68.7 67.4-70.0 71.3 69.9-72.7
> 70 54.4 52.7-56.0 54.8 51.4-58.1 54.1 52.6-55.5
Philippines 105.0 102.7-107.2 105.7 101.8-109.6 104.2 102.5-105.8

FACTS AND FIGURES
Clinical Facts and Figures

Prevalence of LVH (Left Ventricular Hypertrophy) Among Adults,
Age (y) Both Sexes Male Female

% % %
20-29 6.0 9.8 1.2

30-39 3.5 5.7 0.8
40-49 2.4 4.7 0.2
50-59 2.1 2.7 1.7
60-69 4.5 6.4 3.0
> 70 6.5 6.7 6.4
Philippines 4.1 6.6 1.4
Prevalence of QWave Among Adults,

20 Years and Over, by Age and Sex

% % %
20-29 0.5 0.9 0.0

30-39 0.0 0.0 0.0
40-49 0.3 0.2 0.4
50-59 1.0 1.4 0.8
60-69 1.6 2.2 1.0
> 70 3.4 3.7 3.2
Prevalence of AF (Atrial Fibrilation) Among Adults,


% % %
20-29 0.0 0.0 0.0

30-39 0.0 0.0 0.0
40-49 0.0 0.0 0.0
50-59 0.3 0.0 0.5
60-69 0.7 0.7 0.6
> 70 2.0 2.2 1.8

Prevalence of Brugada 1 Among Adults,

% % %
20-29 0.0 0.0 0.0

30-39 0.1 0.1 0.0
40-49 0.3 0.7 0.0
50-59 0.9 1.1 0.8
60-69 0.2 0.4 0.0
> 70 0.0 0.0 0.0
Prevalence of Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis,

Gout, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Osteoporosis
Based on Questionnaires Among Adults,
Age Arthritis Osteo- Rheumatoid Gout Osteo- Systemic

(Years) Arthritis Arthritis Porosis Lupus
Erythematosus
(SLE)
% % % % % %
Males 5.1 0.6 0.5 1.3 0.1 0

20-29 0.8 0.4 0 0 0 0
30-39 3.2 0.4 0 1.2 0 0
40-49 6.2 0.4 0.9 1.6 0 0
50-59 10.2 1.5 1.3 3.0 0 0
60-69 13.6 1.8 1.3 2.4 0.7 0
> 70 22.1 1.8 2.2 3.4 2.0 0
Females 8.0 0.4 0.7 2.0 0.4 0.0
20-29 1.4 0 0.1 0.5 0.4 0.0
30-39 4.4 0 0.3 0.9 0 0.0
40-49 6.7 0 0.5 2.9 0 0.0
50-59 13.7 0.1 0.9 4.2 0 0.0
60-69 19.8 1.6 2.6 2.9 0.9 0.0
> 70 24.9 3.9 2.9 3.6 2.8 0.0
Philippines 6.5 0.5 0.6 1.6 0.2 0.0

FACTS AND FIGURES
REFERENCES
and
NATIONAL NUTRITION SURVEY PERSONNEL: 2003

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NATIONAL NUTRITION SURVEY PERSONNEL: 2003
Project Director
Corazon VC. Barba, Ph.D. ( up to July 2004)
Mario V. Capanzana, Ph.D. (up to present)
Deputy Project Director
Aida R. Aguinaldo, Ph.D.
Overall Head of Survey & Project Leader
Ma. Regina A. Pedro, Ph.D.
Study Leader & Field Operations Manager
Corazon M. Cerdeña
Study Leader
Wilma L. Molano
Overall Field Coordinators/Trainers
Ma. Adrienne S. Constantino Estrella F. Palafox

Milagros C. Chavez Imelda S. Sario
Statistician/Programmer Statistical Consultant

Ruby D. Laña Arturo Y. Pacificador, Jr., Ph.D.
Team Leaders/Trainers
Cynthia A. Nones Agnes D. Yap
Jocelyn A. Juguan Zenaida S. Isada
Crisanta M. delos Reyes Ma. Belina N. Nueva España
Marina B. Vargas Magelende B. Casio
Ma. Erlinda R. Tarrayo Carolina R. Pine
Dulce S. Concepcion Love O. Gepte
Ma. Lilibeth P. Patalen

FACTS AND FIGURES
Team Leaders
Nieves A. Ildefonso Emmalyn B. Molina
Emily O. Rongavilla Ana Maria B. Francisco
Milagros F. Villadolid Pia C. Aguilar
Regina M. Pagaspas Maricar L. Costales
Evelyn O. dela Cruz Mildegarde C. Capistrano
Catherine C. Lumba Clarisa A. Jalandoni
Rowena E. Velasco Filipiniana B. Bragas
Czarina Teresita S. Martinez Marife L. Baluyot
Paula C. Huelar Martha C. Alquillera
Cheryl G. de Villa Ibnotalib J. Nasirin
Hairunnihma S. Ferrer Novemer Tabasa
Assistants to the Overall Field Coordinators

Ma. Jovina A. Sandoval Nelisa P. Cortez
Ma. Sheryl C. Velasco Remedios S. America
Finance Manager Assistant Programmer

Herminia SP. Abaya De Leon, Jeffrey Y.
ANTHROPOMETRY AND DIETARY PHASES:

Field Researchers
Abanilla, Marianne S. Jawel, Sarah Jane O.

Adona, Charlie E. Juan, Jared O.
Aguirre, Aileen R. Lagunay, Mita Floriza B.
Ala, Janet S. Lapiz, Heidi Anne I.
Alaban, Ana Marie E. Lavandero, Diwata V.
Alon-Alon, Joyce S. Lazaro, Rowena C.
Amador, Archimedes O. ntac, Milet B.
Ambayec, Marites E. Lugod, Riza A.
Amilhamja, Merhama M. Luste, Lanie A.
Amodia, Dolorosita P. Mabansag, Demma S.
Andrades, Rosela B. Madrona, Isbel M.
Angeles, Ma. Teresa DM. Mangabat, Daisy Gail P.
Apolinar, Agape Paula D. Manliguez, Louwe P.
Arenas, Eva V. Mendoza, Carmian L.
Atienza, Ivy Anne D. Mendoza, Nanette J.
Avila, Harriet S. Mendoza, Venus Joyce C.
Azaña, Glenda P. Merca, Norman D.
Badato, Audrey Rose A. Muga, Maricel C.
Baguio, Ruby Ann A. Narca, Wilfreda T.
Balais, Reza M. Obal, Franzena M.
Balitaon, Marlon O. Olayvar, Rey Corneal S.

Continued....
Ballesteros, Sweethelda T. Orbigo, Marilyn DG.

Baraero, Hannah Therese M. Ordaz, Eartha S.
Bartolome, Edlyn P Paduganao, Sharon A.
Batac, Maricel S. Pagkalinawan, Katrina R.
Batutay, Rosa Maria C. Pagotisidro, Ellen S.
Batutay, Susan C. Paladan, Christine S.
Begino, Sharon M. Pallar, Sheba I.
Belarde, Ryan B. Pandoy, Melanie R.
Bentayo, Fredel P. Panes, Edenia S.
Bernabe, Glenna Grace T. Paniterce, Jay S.
Biñas, Suzette F. Panliboton, Odessa L.
Breta, Emerson Jeffrey C. Pascual, Marie Michelle J.
Bringuela, Buenafe G. Pendon, Rona
Buhain, John Paul V. Plando, Grace Joy M.
Burgos, Arlyn M. Platon, Josie L.
Burgos, Katleya J. Pobre, Venus Jean G.
Cabase, Mark Ian M. Pua, Maylene D.
Cabral, Jennifer S. Quezon, Grace Q.
Cabus, Ella Mae B. Quintela, Catherine A.
Cadavedo, Geraldine G. Quintos, Regina P.
Calayo, Denver E. Rachman, Taharudin B.
Casaba, Alice Grace A. Rama, Victorino B.
Castillo, Liezel L. Ramirez, Jenny L.
Chiong, Chiodi-Hope D. Rivera, Sheila C.
Co, James Paul N. Rivero, Amparo D.
Corralde, Sharon P. Robino, Fritzie M.
Cortez, Jervee O. Romero, Chanda M.
Crisostomo, Rhea C. Ruiz, Jocel Joy C.
Daga, Zennia S. Sabajas, Aura Marie S.
Decano, Donna G. Sabille, Mary Jane D.
Defante, Jerminie B. Sabino, Ma. Lea M.
Dela Cruz, Cathy R. Saguban, Alpha Amor O.
Dema-ala, Quennie G. Salih, Yarmajer H.
Diao, Joseph Clint F. Salih, Yarmeena H.
Digo, Gretel M. Salipada, Naomi P.
Domasing, Marites M. San Pascual, Tessaliz Nova SV.
Domingo, Maria Lourdes C. Santualla, Rosalie R.
Dumali, Dindo O. Sayson, Caryl Denn D.
Ebuña, Rosene D. Sereno, Maritess L.
Estalilla, Jacqueline B. Silvestre, Jacqueline R.
Estanilla, Alona C. Suanico, Jasmin D.

FACTS AND FIGURES
Continued....
Factao, Maurin P. Tabernero, Anamy D.
Faminiano, Kimberly M. Tabobo, Myrna C.
Faustino, Janice Marie Y. Tanalgo, Imee C.
Franca, Jigzcel Divine S. Toyogan, Jannem N.
Gabbac, Marisol G. Transfiguracion, Gwen E.
Gacutno, Jr., Eusebio J. Trumata, Romelito Q.
Garcia, Cristina J. Tutor, Julieta G.
Gentapanan, Joylyn C. Umali, Marianne T.
Gianan, Analie S. Valle, Rhean V.
Goriona, Kathryn Grace S. Vargas, Jay-Jym M.
Gregorio, Connie SJ. Velasquez, Lallaine DLC.
Guilermo, Marinor G. Victoria, Ferdinand B.
Gunao, Adora G. Villaluz, Rizalyn B.
Hernani, Pelagia B. Villasica, Merlita J.
Ibana, Alpha Joy M. Vito, Rona C.
Indon, Sherwisza Jane A. Yahiya, Myrna U.
Inid, Janice M. Ybañez, Aldren
Jaujohn, Geraldine M.
Other Technical Staff

Castillo, Elenita V. Benavides, Rhea C.
Guirindola, Mildred O. Gulles, Allan
Data Encoders
Esquilona, Richelle-An P. Manaois, Almar C.
Garcia, Cristina J. Relacion, Ehxia P.
Gulles, Allan A. Santos, Arnold C.
Javier, Mae Ann SA. Victoria, Ferdinand B.
Data Validators
Aguilar, Pia C. Franca, Jigzcel Divine S.
Costales, Maricar L. Jalandoni, Clarisa A.
Digo, Gretel M. Pua, Maylene D.
Support Staff
Merambil, Edgardo C. Ramos, Florian D.

BIOCHEMICAL PHASE
Supervisors
Celeste C. Tanchoco Ma. Isabel Z. Cabrera
Study Leaders
Juanita R. Madriaga Leah A. Perlas
Biochemical Field Coordinators

Revelita L. Cheong Josefina A. Desnacido
Juanita M. Marcos Elaine S. Perez
Biochemical Field Researchers

Alagon, Babelyn C. Pua, Shiela P.
Bagunu, Ferdinand A. Rodriguez, Rosemarie A.
Dela Cruz, Emilia F. Rubio, Ronald R.
Gatan, Manteuffel R. San Gabriel, Robert P.
Gocheco, Pamela G. Sandoy, Aileen M.
Martinez, Cecilia S. Saunar, Justin V.
Miranda, Leny Rose S. Siat, Wilbert A.
Moscosa, Wynndyl M. Soriano, Armando S.
Narbonita, Maricel T. Suñiega, Elvira C.
Paguirigan, Christie C. Tajala, Lucille F.
Panaligan, Noly S. Velasco, Jeffraim E.
Pangandamun, Farouk R. Villanueva, Perla P.
Pompa Jr., Nestor M.
Science Aides
Adona, Rodney E. Lugay, Francis C.
Advincula, Jose A. Nokom, Christopher I.
Alim, Ellyd M. Patalen, Herbert P.
Angeles, Alvin M. Quijada, Eric C.
Barrozo, Ferdinand B. Rebato, Eva L.
Bengco, Edwin D. San Gabriel, Dennis F.
Dela Torre, Emiliano F. Sanchez, Renato P.
Desnacido, Joseph A. Santos, Gener N.
Dimaala Jr., Romulo F. Tiamzon, Eric C.
Fuertes, Hobert L. Torres, Victor B.
Locayon, Darwin DS. Tria, Lorenzo T.
Lombos, Pablo Z. Tuazon, Jumar P.
Lopez Jr., Mario A.

FACTS AND FIGURES
Data Encoders/ Validators

Alquillera, Martha C. Patalen, Herbert P.
Analysts
Sumayao, Rodolfo E. Ulanday, Joselita Rosario C.
Support Staff
Torres, Asuncion C. Villanueva, Zoilo B.
Sabenecio, Adorie D. Latigar, Monina J.
CLINICAL PHASE
Supervisor Study Leader
Celeste C. Tanchoco Felicidad V. Velandria
Clinical Field Coordinators

Consuelo L. Orense Charmaine A. Duante
Arsenia J. Cruz Teresa S. Mendoza
Juamina Belen M. Tangco
Clinical Field Researchers

Abadilla, Giselle Marie T. De Guzman, Riza F.
Aguilar, Gennis D. Escultura, Maria Sandel L.
Allado, Elmer T. Gaanan, Mary Ann V.
Asuncion, Sailanie Z. Garcia, Karen Zita M.
Baccay, Wilson R. Largado, Delaila B.
Barrameda, Michael B. Lopez, Josephine M.
Benigno, Michelle F. Novencido, May Lanie C.
Bravo, Janice C. Palad, Princes B.
Cabiara, Karen T. Ringor, Maria Sharmaine S.
Canta, Kathleen L. Sabino, Antonio V.
Cantoria, Lene Grace C. Ugat, Maureen C.
Carabeo, Cynthia L. Vallejo, Ma. Karyn B.
De Castro, Bambi T. Yap, Sandra L.
Encoders
Abile, Eva T. Quijada, Eric C.
Support Staff
De Castro, Bhambi T. Galan Jr., Vicente C.
Other Technical Staff

Belarmino, Myrsa M.


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FOREWORD

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science

In 2003, after completing another round of the National Nutrition Survey

MARIO V. CAPANZANA, Ph.D.

Grateful acknowledgments and thanks are due to the following:

The Micronutrient Operational Strategies and Technologies (MOST) of the United

The Department of Science and Technology–Grants-in-Aid (DOST-GIA) Program

The 14 medical societies namely, Philippine Lipid Society (PLS), Philippine

The Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) for financial assistance in the

Mr. Segfredo R. Serrano, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Agriculture

Local Government Unit (LGU), Department of Interior and Local Government

The DOST Regional Directors, Provincial Science and Technology Officers

The 6th National Nutrition Survey 1

Part I: Dietary Facts and Figures 3

Dietary Intake of Filipino Households 5

1. At the National Level ………………………………………….. 5

1.1 Food Consumption …………………………..…………….. 5

2. At the Regional Level …………………………………………. 20

2.1 Food Consumption ……………………………………..…… 20

Dietary Intake of Filipino Preschool-age Children, Pregnant &

1. At the National Level …………………………………………… 28

1.1 Preschool-age Children, 6 Months – 5 Years Old …….. 28

1.3 Lactating Mothers 35

Awareness and Usage of Fortified Foods and Iodized Salt ……. 37

1. At the National Level 37

1.1 Fortified Foods ……………………………………………….. 37

Part II: Anthropometric Facts and Figures 41

1. At the National Level ………………………………………….. 45

1.1 Preschool-age Children (0–5 years old) …………….......... 45

2. At the Regional Level ……………………………… 63

2.1 Preschool-age Children, 0 – 5 Years Old 63

Part III: Biochemical Facts and Figures 67

1. At the National Level ………………………………………….. 71

1.1 Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) …………………………….. 71

1.4 Trends in the Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency … 75

Part IV: Clinical Facts and Figures 83

National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHes 2003-2004) .. 83

Nutrition-Related Risk Factors to Non-Communicable

1. At the National Level ………………………………………. 86

1.1 Waist Circumference ………………… 86

Table No. Page

1 Mean one-day per capita food consumption and percent of

Table No. Page

Table No. Page

37 Trends in the prevalence of underweight and overweight

Table No. Page

54 Assessment criteria for obesity using waist circumference 85

Figure No. Page

1 Mean one-day per capita food intake by food group:

PHILIPPINE FACTS AND FIGURES 2003

Part I. Dietary Facts and Figures

FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH INSTITUTE

1. At the National Level

1.1. Food Consumption of Philippine Households

The typical one-day food intake in Philippine households in 2003 is characterized as

FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Table 1. Mean one-day per capita food consumption and percent

Consumption, Raw AP Percent

All Foods 324 886 100.0

FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Table 2. Mean one-day per capita energy and nutrient

Energy and Nutrient Intake

Energy (kcal) 1905

• No more than three in every 10 households meet the average requirement

Eggs 15 11 8 14 12 8

Fruits 43 87 52 58 39 44

MISCELLANEOUS 50** 41* 25 40 30* 43**

Fats and Oils 13 16 16 11* 14 12

Eggs 8 10 14 9 10 9

Fruits 51** 66* 98 56 60 38**

MISCELLANEOUS 23 38 43 31 48 16*