SHiFT researcher completes doctoral work on diet quality of adolescents in Bangladesh

The CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT) is pleased to announce that Dr. Mahsina Syeda Akter successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in September at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in the Netherlands. The topic of her dissertation was different dimensions of diets of adolescents from low-income households living in urban Bangladesh. More specifically, her research looked at the extent to which daily fish consumption contributed to diet quality.  

Using multiple dietary intake datasets, including one from the Urban Food Consumption Survey 2015-2016 and two more phone-based surveys conducted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Dhaka city in 2020, Dr. Akter’s study observed that adolescents’ dietary patterns reflected poor diet quality with a diet heavy on staples and few foods that were categorized as healthy. This varied very little across seasons. Average consumption was below the estimated age- and sex-specific requirements for energy and specific micronutrients like calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, riboflavin, folate, and iron. Fish was a key component of their diets, but the median consumption – 23 grams/day – was less than half of the current national recommendation of 60 grams/day. Access and affordability were two of the main barriers to consuming healthy foods, such as seasonal fruits and vegetables, higher quality species of fish, and whole grains. One recommendation was to tailor and target behavior change communication to adolescents to equip them with knowledge and skills to make healthier choices about what to eat.  

Dr. Akter’s doctoral studies were funded in part by the CGIAR Trust Fund, first through the CGIAR Research Programs on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) and Fish Agri-Food Systems (FISH) and continuing through SHiFT. Dr. Elise Talsma, SHiFT researcher from WUR, was part of her daily supervision. 

Header image: Dr. Mahsina Akter poses with members of her family, thesis committee, and colleagues on September 24, 2025, the day of her dissertation defense at the Wageningen University and Research campus.  

The International Food Policy Research Institute and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT lead SHiFT in close collaboration with Wageningen University and Research and with contributions from the International Potato Center. SHiFT combines high-quality nutritional and social science research capacity with development partnerships to generate innovative, robust solutions that contribute to healthier, more sustainable dietary choices and consumption of sustainable healthy diets. It builds on CGIAR’s unparalleled track record of agricultural research for development, including ten years of work on food systems and nutrition under the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health.