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Dietary Patterns of Women Working with Livestock in Rural Bihar, IndiaFaith Simmonds, Ines Gonzalez-Casanova, Usha Ramakrishnan
Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
Background
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In recent years, India has experienced a high level of economic growth, but there is still a high level of poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in the country. The Tata Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) in collaboration with non-governmental organizations, other development partners and Emory University created the Technical Assistance and Research for Indian Nutrition and Agriculture (TARINA) to promote a more nutrition-sensitive food system in India. TARINA aims to identify the connection between factors that influence agricultural production and factors that influence nutrition and has project site in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa.
IntroductionPrevious work has shown that when women have control of household
production and consumption of diversified crops, utilization of income from crop sales for purchase of nutritious foods, and use of time for caregiving and feeding practice, the quality of maternal and child nutrition increases. In this study, the dietary patterns of women of reproductive age who work with or own livestock were examined as part of the TARINA project in Bihar, India in collaboration with the BAIF Development Research Foundation.
Methods Trained field workers obtained data from 303 women working with livestock in
one of the TARINA project sites in Munger district in Bihar, India. Dietary data were obtained using:
• A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that asked women to recalltheir consumption of 38 food items/ groups in the past 7 days.
• A 13-food group questionnaire to recall consumption (Yes/No) at thehousehold level across different seasons in the past year
Data on sociodemographic characteristics and livestock ownership were alsoobtained.
Descriptive data analysis was done to examine patterns of dietary intake atthe individual and household level.
ResultsTable 1:Socio-demographic Characteristics of Respondents (N=303)
Discussion The FFQ indicated that the women’s diet is primarily comprised of grains which
may be a result of 70% of the women participating in staple grain farming. Some key food groups like WADI fruits, vit. A rich fruits, Yellow/ orange
vegetables and Peas/ beans may not have been consumed in the past weekbecause some households did not harvest them.
The consumption of animal-based products especially dairy may be related tolivestock ownership and/or other factors like income and lack of access tomarkets
Conclusion
These data indicate that that women are not eating a diverse diet. Although key food groups were consumed at least once during each season at the household level, the FFQ questionnaire indicated that women’s dietary intakes were sub-optimal. Lack of data on the amounts consumed do not allow us to examine the contribution to nutrient intakes
References1. Ramakrishnan, Usha. Adaptation of the Women’s Empowerment in
Agriculture Index for Livestock in Bihar [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved frompersonal communication
2. Tata- Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition. Why India? WhyNutrition?. (2018). Retreived from https://tci.cornell.edu/about-us/why-india-why-nutrition/
3. Technical Assistance and Research for Indian Nutrition and Agriculture.About Us. (2018). Retrieved from https://tarina.tci.cornell.edu/about-us/
4. Technical Assistance and Research for Indian Nutrition and Agriculture(Photographer). (2018). WomenFarmer2_UP [digital image]. Retrieved fromhttps://tarina.tci.cornell.edu/news-events/image-gallery/the-role-of-women-in-agriculture/
5. Technical Assistance and Research for Indian Nutrition and Agriculture.(2018). How TARINA Tackles Malnutrition. Retrieved fromhttps://tarina.tci.cornell.edu/about-us/food-systems-approach/
0
50
100
Rice Wheat Suji/ sewai/shira/ muri/
khoi
%
1-3 Times 4-6 Times Daily
0
50
100
%
1-3 Times 4-6 Times Daily
0
50
100
%
1-3 Times 4-6 Times Daily
0
50
100
Ghee Yoghurt Milk Eggs Meat,Fish,
Poultry
%
1-3 Times 4-6 Times Daily
Characteristic Mean + SD /%Age (y) 41.3 ± 12.2Married (%) 97.1Household Size 6.1 ± 1.8Caste (%)Mahadalit Other Backward Class Scheduled Caste Scheduled TribeOther
15.133.13.0
44.93.9
Religion (%)HinduMuslimChristian
97.41.01.6
Owns land (%) 83.3Owns home (%) 99.3
HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION Cereal/grains, lentils/pulses, dairy, dark
green leafy vegetables, savory/sweets,oil, salt and sugar were consumed by allhouseholds during every season.
During Oct-Dec, fruits, vegetables androots/ tubers/ starchy staples wereconsumed by 99.67% of households.
93.7% of households consumed meat/fish/ poultry and eggs during each season.
Individual Food Intake in the Past 7 Days
0
50
100
%
1-3 Times 4-6 Times Daily
Figure 1: Study Location - Munger District in Bihar, India
Nearly 60% of women owned cows, about 20% owned poultry, and 15% owned pigs.
Cereal/grains, lentils/pulses, dairy, darkgreen leafy vegetables, savory/sweets,oil, salt and sugar were consumed by allhouseholds during every season.
During Oct-Dec, fruits, vegetables androots/ tubers/ starchy staples wereconsumed by 99.67% of households.
93.7% of households consumed meat/fish/ poultry and eggs during each season.
Cereal/grains, lentils/pulses, dairy, darkgreen leafy vegetables, savory/sweets,oil, salt and sugar were consumed by allhouseholds during every season.
During Oct-Dec, fruits, vegetables androots/ tubers/ starchy staples wereconsumed by 99.67% of households.
93.7% of households consumed meat/fish/ poultry and eggs during each season.
This project was done as a part of the Technical Assistance and Research for Indian Nutrition and Agriculture (TARINA) program. TARINA is being implemented in three states of India by Tata Cornell Institute (TCI) of the Cornell University with financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The project is also supported by NIH (1R25DK113652). The first author thanks Dr. Usha Ramakrishnan and Dr. Ines Gonzalez-Casanova for their mentorship
Acknowledgment
