Prevalence and Determinants Of Nutritional Status Among Preschoolers in a Rural Area Of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala

Authors

  • Anju Susan Thomas Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Government College Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram.
  • G. Sridevi Professor, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad (Central University), Hyderabad.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25175/jrd/2022/v41/i3/167182

Keywords:

Stunting, Underweight, Anthropometric Assessment, Preschool Children, Kerala

Abstract

Malnutrition among preschoolers is of grave concern and it lingers unabated in India, despite nutritional intervention policies of the State. Though Kerala is far ahead of other States in health outcomes, the triple burden of malnutrition is rampant. A micro-level analysis is conducted to assess the prevalence and determinants of stunting and underweight among 189 preschool children in Vithura, a tribal-dominated rural Panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. In the study area, 38 per cent of children are stunted, which is higher among children belonging to tribal communities, and 19 per cent of preschool children are underweight. The occurrence of underweight is 27 per cent among tribal children, whereas it is 17 per cent among non-tribals. Caste, asset ownership status and maternal height are significantly associated with stunting, whereas underweight is significantly associated with asset ownership. In the logit model, caste significantly contributes to normal height for age. It is found that high asset group and age of the child being ‘13-36’ months increase the probability of being not underweight.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2023-06-29

How to Cite

Thomas, A. S., & Sridevi, G. (2023). Prevalence and Determinants Of Nutritional Status Among Preschoolers in a Rural Area Of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala. Journal of Rural Development, 41(3), 296–307. https://doi.org/10.25175/jrd/2022/v41/i3/167182

Issue

Volume 41, Issue 3, July-September 2022

Section

Articles
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Author Biographies

Anju Susan Thomas, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Government College Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram.

Assistant Professor in Economics at Govt. College Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala(affiliated to University of Kerala).

G. Sridevi, Professor, School of Economics, University of Hyderabad (Central University), Hyderabad.

Associate Professor at School of Economics, University of Hyderabad( Central University)

References

Banerjee, A.V., & Duflo, E. (2011). Poor Economics: Rethinking Poverty and the ways to end it. Penguin Books.

Banerjee, B., & Mandal, O. N. (2005). An intervention study in malnutrition among infants in a tribal community of West Bengal. Indian Journal of Community Medicine,30(1), 27-29.

Benjamin, A., & Zachariah, P. (1993). Nutritional status and feeding practices in under-3 years old children in the rural community in Ludhiana, Punjab. Health and Population Perspectives and Issues16,3-21.

Borooah, V., Diwakar, D., & Sabharwal, N. (2014). Evaluating the Social Orientation of the Integrated Child Development Services Programme. Economic and Political Weekly, 49(12), 52-62.

Chakraborty, S., Gupta, S. B., Chaturvedi, B., & Chakraborty, S. K. (2006). A study of protein energy malnutrition (PEM) in Children (0 to 6 year) in a rural population of Jhansi District (U.P). Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 31(4),291-292.

Engle, P.L., Menon, P., & Haddad, L. (1999). Care and nutrition: Concepts and measurement. World Development,27(8),1309-1337. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(99)00059-5

Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). (2007). Nutritional Status Assessment and Analysis:Nutritional Status and Food Security Learner Notes.http://www.fao.org/elearning/course/FN/EN/pdf/trainerresources/learnernotes0280.pdf

Ghosh, S., &Varerkar, S.A. (2019). Undernutrition among tribal children in Palghar district, Maharashtra, India. PloS one, 14(2), e0212560. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212560 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212560

Handa, S. (1999). Maternal Education and Child Height. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 47(2),421-439. https://doi.org/10.1086/452408 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/452408

International Institute of Population Studies (IIPS) &Macro International. (2007). National Family Health Survey(NFHS-3),2005-06: India: Volume 1.Mumbai: IIPS.http://rchiips.org/nfhs/volume_1.shtml

International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)&ICF. (2018). National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), India, 2015-16:Kerala. Mumbai: IIPS.http://rchiips.org/NFHS/NFHS-4Reports/Kerala.pdf

International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) & ICF.(2017). National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16: India. Mumbai: IIPS.http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-4Reports/India.pdf

Meshram, I. I., Arlappa, N., Balakrishna, N., Mallikharjuna Rao, K., Laxmaiah, A., &Brahmam, G. N. (2012). Trends in the prevalence of undernutrition, nutrient and food intake and predictors of undernutrition among under five year tribal children in India. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition, 21(4), 568–576.

Micha, R., Mannar, V., Afshin, A., Allemandi, L., Baker, P., Battersby, J., ... & Dolan, C. (2020). 2020 Global nutrition report: action on equity to end malnutrition. https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/2020-global-nutrition-report/

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, UNICEF and Population Council.(2019). Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) National Report. New Delhi.

Mishra, V. K., &Retherford, R. D. (2000). Women's education can improve child nutrition in India. National Family Health Survey bulletin, (15), 1–4.

Moock, P.R.,& Leslie, J.(1986). Childhood malnutrition and schooling in the Terai region of Nepal. J Dev Economics, 20(1),33–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3878(86)90004-0. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-3878(86)90004-0

Nandy,S.,Irving,M.,Gordon, D.,Subramanian,S.V.,&Smith,G.D.(2005).Poverty,child undernutrition and morbidity: New evidence from India. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 83(3),210-216.

Panagariya, A.(2013). Does India really suffer from worse child malnutrition than Sub - Saharan Africa?Economic and Political Weekly, 48(18),98-111.

Rajaram, S., Zottarelli, L. K., & Sunil, T. S. (2007). Individual, household, programme and community effects on childhood malnutrition in rural India. Maternal &Child Nutrition, 3(2), 129–140. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2007.00086.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2007.00086.x

Ramachandran, P., & Gopalan, H. S.(2011). Assessment of nutritional status in Indian preschool children using WHO 2006 Growth Standards. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 134(1),47–53.

Ramalingaswamy,V.,Jonsson,U. & Rhode,J.(1996). The Asian Enigma. The Progress of Nations.NewYork: UNICEF.

Sabharwal, N. (2011). Caste, Religion and Malnutrition Linkages. Economic and Political Weekly, 46(50), 16-18.

Sen, A., & Sengupta, S. (1983). Malnutrition of Rural Children and the Sex Bias. Economic and Political Weekly, 18(19/21), 855-864.

Smith, L.C., & Haddad, L. (2000). Overcoming child malnutrition in developing countries: Past achievements and future choices. (Food, Agriculture and the Environment Discussion Paper 30). Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). ISBN 0- 89629-634-2.

Smith,L.C., Ramakrishnan, U.,Ndiaye,A.,Haddad,L.,&Martorell.(2003). The importance of women’s status for child nutrition in developing countries. Washington DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/156482650302400309

Subramanian, S. V., Ackerson, L. K., Davey Smith, G., & John, N. A. (2009). Association of maternal height with child mortality, anthropometric failure, and anemia in India. JAMA, 301(16), 1691–1701. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.548 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.548

Thomas,D. & Strauss,J. (1997). Health and Wages: Evidence on men and women in urban Brazil. Journal of Econometrics,77(1),159-185.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4076(96)01811-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-4076(96)01811-8

Thorat, S., &Sadana, N. (2009). Discrimination and children’s nutritional status. IDS Bulletin, 40(4), 25-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1759-5436.2009.00055.x

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (1990). Strategy for improved nutrition of children and women in developing countries. A UNICEF policy review.New York: UNICEF Research

UNICEF. (2013). Improving Child Nutrition: The achievable imperative for global progress. https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/Nutrition_Report_final_lo_res_8_April.pdf

Victora, C. G., de Onis, M., Hallal, P. C., Blössner, M., & Shrimpton, R. (2010). Worldwide timing of growth faltering: revisiting implications for interventions. Pediatrics, 125(3), e473–e480. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-1519 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-1519

von Grebmer,K.,Bernstein,J., Alders,R., Dar,O.,Kock,R., Rampa,F.,….&Fritschel,H.(2020). 2020 Global Hunger Index: One Decade to Zero Hunger: Linking Health and Sustainable Food Systems. Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide. https://www.globalhungerindex.org/pdf/en/2020.pdf

WHO. (n.d.). Malnutrition.https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/child/malnutrition/en/

WHO.(2010).Nutrition Landscape Information System (‎NLiS)‎country profile indicators: interpretationguide. World Health Organization https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/44397