Growth and nutritional status of Khasi boys in Northeast India relating to exogamous marriages and socioeconomic classes

Abstract

The Khasis are one of the matrilineal tribes of Meghalaya in Northeast India. They belong to the Indo-Mongoloid racial stock, and speak the Monkhmer language of the Austro-Asiatic group. They have their own traditional religion (Niam Khasi), but about 65% of them have converted to Christianity. A few Khasi members have also embraced Islam through matrimonial relationship with immigrant Muslim males. The present study was based on a cross-sectional sample of 1,351 urban Khasi boys aged 3-18 years belonging to these three religious groups, with a view to understanding the effects of socioeconomic factors on growth and nutritional status, using anthropometric variables such as weight and height. The findings showed that about 60%, 29%, and 6% of these boys were below -2 Z-scores of the US National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) references in respect of weight for age, height for age, and body mass index for age, respectively. The logistic regression coefficient (beta +/- standard error) indicated that the prevalence of low weight for age (below -2 Z-scores of the NCHS references) was positively associated with age (0.088 +/- 0.014, P<0.0001), while it was inversely associated with household income (-1.216 +/- 0.030, P<0.0001). Likewise, low height for age Z-score was negatively associated with household income (-1.056 +/- 0.130, P<0.0001), although such a relationship was not significant in the case of low body mass index for age (-0.169 +/- 0.229, P>0.05). There were also significant differences between religious groups in respect of anthropometric variables. Allowing for household income, the ANCOVA test indicated that Muslim Khasi boys, who were the offspring of intermarriages between Khasi females and immigrant Muslim males, were significantly heavier and taller than Christian and Niam Khasi boys almost across ages. From about 3-10 years of age, Muslim Khasi boys were, on average, comparable to the 5th and 25th percentiles of the NCHS references of height and weight, respectively. Although it looks as though genetic mechanisms like heterosis and/or gene flow might also be associated with the larger body size in Muslim boys, such a conjecture could only be substantiated or refuted by further studies concerning genetic and more socioeconomic data on both immigrant and nonimmigrant populations.

Excess male chronic energy deficiency among adolescents: a cross-sectional study in the context of patrilineal and matrilineal societies in Northeast India

“…Subject to further studies, excess CED among adolescent boys in both the Khasi subgroups might not be indicative of nutritional discrimination against males, although daughter preference may arise as for the question of family lineage. In addition, the arrival of Christianity in the Khasi hills of Meghalaya is believed to have brought about a tremendous change in the Khasi society (Khongsdier & Mukherjee, 2003a). The present study, however, failed to obtain a significant relationship between religion and CED in both the Khasi subgroups.…”

“…Information on household monthly income was crosschecked by taking into consideration the other aspects of economic conditions such as housing conditions including ownership of a house, livestock, type of cooking fuel, ownership of agricultural land, occupation and monthly expenditure. The sample households were then arbitrarily divided into lower and higher income groups, considering the mean À 4s.d./ON of the per capita monthly income as the cutoff point (Khongsdier, 2002;Khongsdier & Mukherjee, 2003a). Individual religious affiliation was based on the information whether an individual belonged to Christianity or traditional religion (indigenous religion).…”

“…The War Khasis and the Khynriam Khasis are the two major subgroups of the Khasi tribe of Meghalaya. A majority of them have embraced Christianity, which was spread first by the Welsh Presbyterian Missionaries in 1841 (Khongsdier & Mukherjee, 2003a). Although both the subgroups follow the matrilineal system of society, both sons and daughters among the War Khasis inherit the parental property.…”

Prevalence of undernutrition among Kora-Mudi children aged 2–13 years in Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal, India

“…Another study from Meghalaya showed that the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 60.0%, 29.0% and 6.0% respectively in Khasi children aged 3-18 years. [36] A study conducted in the Purulia district of West Bengal found that the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting in Santal children was 33.7%, 17.9% and 29.4%, respectively. [18] Bisai et al [5] recently reported that the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 33.9%, 26.1% and 19.4%, respectively.…”

Nutritional Status among the Urban Meitei Children and Adolescents of Manipur, Northeast India

“…In Northeast India, the prevalence of undernutrition (53.9%) is found among school-aged children in Assam [18]. Another study among Khasi boys aged 3-18 years of Meghalaya shows the prevalence of underweight at 60.0 percent [19]. e prevalence of overweight among Mishing boys and girls is found to be 1.95 percent and 1.96 percent, respectively [20].…”