Validation of food variety and dietary diversity scores as indicators of micronutrient adequacy among pregnant women in the northern zone of Sidama, Ethiopia

MDD-W was positively correlated with micronutrient intake adequacy and demonstrated good predictive ability. At the standard cutoff of ≥5 food groups, its sensitivity and specificity were 69.9 and 5.3%, respectively. However, the findings differed from those of other studies, and discrepancies with FAO recommendations regarding the cutoff values and performance levels of MDD-W were observed, indicating a need for further investigation.