Diet Constraints of Indigenous Children in Conflict and Non-conflict Areas of Davao del Norte, Philippines

Indigenous Peoples (IP) have poorer nutritional status compares to non-IPs due to their remote and upland location, high poverty incidence, and occurrence of armed conflict, which limit their access to stable and nutritious food. This study compares the current diets of the IP children in conflict and non-conflict areas of Davao del Norte and determines the optimal diets that meet the recommended energy and nutrient intakes. Findings show that IP children in conflict area rely mostly on locally available foods such as root and tuber crops with minimal consumption of store-bought foods. In contrast, IP children in non-conflict area combine store-bought foods and locally available foods with higher consumption on the former food source. Both diets, however, have low levels of energy and nutrient intakes. When optimized using a linear programming formulation, fats, riboflavin, and iron needs were not satisfactorily met due to limited local food resources. Thus, diversifying their diet through farming other crops especially legumes and raising poultry and small ruminant livestock is highly encouraged.