An ethnographic exploration of perceptions of changes in dietary variety in the Kolli Hills, India

Tian Huang (), Anna P. Farmer (), Ellen Goddard, Noreen Willows () and Fatheema Subhan ()
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Tian Huang: University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, Human Nutrition Division
Anna P. Farmer: University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, Human Nutrition Division
Noreen Willows: 4-378 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy
Fatheema Subhan: Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 4-372

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2017, vol. 9, issue 4, No 9, 759-771

Abstract: Abstract The Malayalis Tribe, a Scheduled Tribe of the Kolli Hills in southern India, has experienced a decrease in the variety of foods consumed in the past 20 years. It is important to understand these changes in dietary patterns to inform future interventions to improve dietary diversity. This study aimed to investigate the perceived factors and experiences from participants belonging to different age groups and genders that have affected changes in dietary variety in the Kolli Hills over the past 20 years. An ethnographic approach was used for the study. Data collection methods included semi-structured focus group discussions, informal individual interviews, and participant observations. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze themes related to the research questions. Results suggest that dietary diversity has declined and a smaller number of foods are consumed from grain products, fruits, vegetables and meat products. The main reasons for the decrease in dietary variety include an increased reliance on market systems (linked with an increase in cassava cash cropping) to obtain food and a lack of financial resources to purchase a variety of foods for consumption. Intergenerational changes in taste preferences influenced the types of foods consumed in the household. Drudgery associated with preparing traditional millets for consumption made it a less favorable choice in comparison to subsidized rice purchased through Fair Price Shops. The findings from this study are important to understand the changes in dietary patterns from the perspective of community members and will help inform future interventions to improve dietary diversity in the Kolli Hills.

Keywords: Dietary variety; Consumption patterns; Rural India ethnography; Perceptions; Focus groups (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1007/s12571-017-0701-3

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