Peer-reviewed article
Dietary diversity and nutritional status of children enrolled in Anganwadis of Anekal Taluk, Bengaluru Urban District.
Nancy A Gnanaselvam, Thomson C Davis, Avita Rose Johnson, Jasmine Mary Mathew, Anupama Shetty ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined dietary diversity and nutritional status in 196 children attending Anganwadi nutrition centers in Bengaluru, India. Most children met minimum meal frequency and dietary diversity standards, yet 80% had some form of malnutrition, with 20% severely underweight and 19% severely stunted. Children without minimum dietary diversity had nearly three times higher risk of stunting, and girls faced higher risks of wasting and overall malnutrition. The findings show that despite social protection programs, malnutrition remains prevalent and requires addressing broader social determinants.
Key points
- 80% of children had at least one form of malnutrition despite most meeting minimum meal frequency and dietary diversity criteria
- Children not consuming minimum dietary diversity had adjusted odds ratio of 2.89 for stunting
- Females had 2.52 times higher risk of wasting and 2.65 times higher risk of any malnutrition form
- 20.4% were severely underweight and 18.9% had severe stunting
- Age over 2 years was associated with underweight and wasting, showing need for continued optimal feeding after infancy
Limitations
This cross-sectional study captures only a snapshot in time and cannot establish causation. The study does not explain why dietary diversity and meal frequency standards were met but malnutrition remained so prevalent, nor does it examine the quality or nutritional adequacy of the foods consumed.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices ensure that child malnutrition is prevented. Through social protection and nutrition-related education, food security and appropriate nutrient intake can be ensured. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 196 children enrolled in Anganwadis of Anekal Taluk. Height, weight and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurements were taken, and the parent was administered the dietary diversity and meal frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Mean age of the children was 2.97 years ± 0.98. The mean birth weight of the children was 2.51 kg ± 0.51. Most (25%) of the households belonged to the poorest wealth quintile category. Of the study population, 20.4% were severely underweight, 18.9% had severe stunting, and 6.6 had severe acute malnutrition (SAM) as per Weight-for-Height Z-scores. Overall, 80% of the children had at least one form of malnutrition. Most children met the minimum meal frequency (MMF) criteria (91.8%), and a majority of them (82.7%) had a minimum dietary diversity (MDD). Children not consuming the MDD are at risk for stunting, with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 2.89 (1.22-6.86). Additionally, females are at risk for wasting, with an AOR of 2.52 (1.26-5.02). Female gender was associated with risk for any form of malnutrition, AOR 2.65 (1.23-5.73). Age more than 2 years was significantly associated with underweight and wasting, depicting the need for continued optimal infant and child feeding practices in the community even after 2 years. CONCLUSION: Post-coronavirus disease (post-COVID) pandemic, under-5 malnutrition continues to be highly prevalent despite social protection. Multifactorial causation of malnutrition should be understood, and social determinants of health should be addressed.