Influence of agriculture on child nutrition through child feeding practices in India: A district-level analysis

Abstract

Malnutrition continues to be a primary concern for researchers and policymakers in India. There is limited scientific research on the effect of agriculture on child nutrition in the country using a large representative sample. To the best of our knowledge, no study has examined the spatial clustering of child malnutrition and its linkage with agricultural production at the district-level in the country. The present study aims to examine agricultural production’s role in improving the nutritional status of Indian children through child feeding practices. The nutritional indicators of children from the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–16) and the agricultural production data for all the 640 districts of India obtained from the District-Wise Crop Production Statistics (2015–16), published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India were used for the analysis. The statistical analysis was undertaken in STATA (version 14.1). ArcMap (version 10.3), and GeoDa (version 1.8) were used for the spatial analysis. The study found a higher prevalence of malnutrition among children who had not received Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF), Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD), and Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD). Further, child feeding practices- MMF, MDD, and MAD- were positively associated with high yield rates of spices and cereals. The yield rate of cash crops, on the contrary, harmed child feeding practices. Production of pulses had a significant positive effect on MDD and MAD. Districts with high cereal yield rates ensured that children receive MMF and MAD. There is a significant spatial association between child feeding practices and malnutrition across Indian districts. The study suggests that adopting nutrient-sensitive agriculture may be the best approach to improving children’s nutritional status.

Seasonality of associations between production of indigenous foods and food security status of mother-child dyads in Kisumu County, Kenya

“…From the Asian perspective, India has been identified as a famous nation with the highest rate of wasted children below five years; hence, the country may fail to meet the global 2025 nutrition target for wasting [ 41 ]. Agricultural production poses an influence on child nutrition as it influences child feeding practices [ 42 ]. Many times, agricultural vulnerability to global warming and climate change has been adversely influencing malnutrition among Indian children [ 43 ].…”

“…Dietary diversity is a proxy indicator of sufficiency in nutrient density of food consumption in children because less meal frequency indicates inability to meet children’s energy requirements [ 45 ]. Production rate of indigenous food crops, cereals, and pulses determines the minimum acceptable diet, minimum meal frequency, and minimum dietary diversity [ 42 ]. This means that indigenous food production often exhibits significant associations with food security status.…”

“…This means that indigenous food production often exhibits significant associations with food security status. This was evident from findings from a study that found that production of cash crops negatively affected children’s diet and food security status [ 42 ]. Chronic stunting and malnutrition are often a result of inadequate micronutrient consumption caused by low food production [ 46 ].…”

Women empowerment through involvement in community-based health and nutrition interventions: Evidence from a qualitative study in India

“…A past study reveals the positive impacts of home gardens towards addressing food insecurity and malnutrition, besides benefits such as income and livelihood opportunities for resource-poor families [ 32 ]. Nutrient-sensitive agriculture has also been the best approach to improving children’s nutritional status [ 33 ].…”

Contribution of low birth weight to childhood undernutrition in India: evidence from the national family health survey 2019–2021

“…Studies revealed that breastfeeding, maternal education, and income are also important predictors [ 23 – 25 ]. Environmental factors such as particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5 ) and agriculture were found to be associated with childhood undernutrition [ 26 , 27 ]. It can be observed that most previous studies have focused on the demographic and socio-economic determinants of the nutritional status of a child by neglecting the most significant factor—Low Birth Weight (LBW), which is an independent factor contributing to malnutrition among children, primarily in Asian and African countries [ 28 ].…”