Publication:

Understanding anemia and food practices of India: evidences from National Family Health Survey

Background Anemia is one of the important non-communicable diseases not only in India rather at world level. Significant amounts of anemia of different levels exist in India even if various programmes are implemented at central and state level to eliminate anemia. One of the important factors of anemia is food practices, say nutritional practices of population. In this context, it is necessary to understand the relationship of anemia of different levels and food practices among children and women in India across national family health survey datasets.

Methods A cross-sectional study design with quantitative technique like bi-variate analysis is done to understand the objectives using the last three rounds of national family health survey.

Results The results find that children and women with non-consumption of vegetarian foods had more prevalence of anemia of different levels and simultaneously both consumption and non-consumption of non-vegetarian foods had more prevalence of anemia of different levels among children and women. Besides, culture had an impact in deciding food practices at the same time there was a cultural shift of food practices among children and women in India.

Conclusions The author suggests dissemination of proper scientific information like millets and other vegetarian foods along with vegetables and fruits of vitamin-C should be eaten to improve iron absorption, is the solution for both prevention and elimination of anemia instead of myths and mis-information.