Are children attaining the minimum dietary diversity criteria in India? Evidence from National Family Health Survey-5

Venkata Naga Sindhuja Padigapati, Alka Singh and Praveen K V

No 344350, IAAE 2024 Conference, August 2-7, 2024, New Delhi, India from International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE)

Abstract: The feeding practices of infants and young children in the first two years of their lives are essential for their nutritional status. The lack of dietary variety poses a significant threat to children’s growth and development. Therefore, it is vital to study the dietary diversity among infants and young children in India to identify nutritional gaps, health risks, and factors that influence their diets. We analyzed data collected from 64,084 children in India through the National Family Health Survey5, based on a 24-hour recall. This study focused on the consumption patterns of food groups and their critical factors among infants and young children in India. We found that only 22.46 percent of children met the minimum dietary diversity requirement. From logistic regression analysis, we identified that age, gender, birth order, religion, nutrition access, and health conditions significantly affect children’s food intake. This study highlighted the significance of maternal education and female leadership in improving health and nutrition outcomes for children. Moreover, the study identified that the socio-economic, cultural, and regional determinants influencing dietary diversity enable the development of tailored strategies. These strategies can ensure equitable access to diverse and nutritious foods, irrespective of socioeconomic background or geographic location in India.

Keywords: Food; Consumption/Nutrition/Food; Safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 22
Date: 2024-08-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-dev
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:cfcp15:344350

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.344350

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