Nutritional Status and Food Consumption Pattern in India: A Study in Disadvantaged Areas of Madhya Pradesh

Diet and diversity gets increased attention because of its impact on nutrition and health. A study was conducted in this line in Dhar and Datia districts of Madhya Pradesh, a nutritionally disadvantaged area in India. A structured interview schedule was the tool for data collection with in-built 24-hour diet recall section. A total of 240 respondents participated in this study. The study registered a slight mark of overweight and obesity in the respondent groups. It was understood that the problem of under nourishment was less with male groups than female groups in both districts. It was also revealed that majorly, the respondent groups had low level of knowledge about nutrition. A sixteen food group model (FAO) was used to evaluate DDS (Diet Diversity Score) ranging from 0 to 7. Overall Individual DDS was medium ranging from 3.9 to 4.7 (Dhar) and 5.0 to 6.4 (Datia). The actual consumption of all the food groups taken by the respondents were quantified and it was found that least consumed food groups were pulses and fruits. The study concludes that dietary diversity is poor and efforts to improve nutritional status must address the issue of nutrition education, dietary diversity and nutrition sensitive agriculture. Acknowledgement : The authors thank the financial support provided by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, for conducting this study under the project Enhancing Nutrition Security and Gender Empowerment .