Prevalence of malnutrition among women and adolescent girls: impact of urbanization in rural–urban interface of Bangalore
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 4 January 2022
Issue publication date: 3 November 2022
Abstract
Purpose
India is facing a double burden of malnutrition, i.e. undernutrition and obesity. Women and adolescent health and nutrition are very relevant issues which have not received much attention it deserves in India, especially in the context of a girl child. Hence, the purpose of this study is to assess malnutrition among women and adolescent girls as well as the associated factors.
Design/methodology/approach
An attempt was made to assess malnutrition among women and adolescent girls and associated factors. The required data was collected from the north (616) and south transects (659) sample households of Bangalore constituting a total sample size of 1,275. The data was analyzed by adopting multiple linear regression and multinomial logistic regression analysis using STATA software.
Findings
The effects of this study simply confirmed that, urbanization had an instantaneous effect on dietary repute of women and adolescent girls, while transferring throughout the gradient from rural to urban with the growing significance of weight problems and obese. In adolescent girls, about 31% were underweight followed by normal weight and overweight across rural–urban interface of Bangalore. The factors such as education, consumption of meat and animal products, a dummy for urban, diabetes and blood pressure were significantly and positively influencing the nutritional status (Body Mass Index) of women across rural–urban interface. While consumption of vegetables, wealth index and per capita income had a positive and significant influence on the nutritional status of adolescent girls.
Originality/value
With limited studies and data available in Karnataka, especially in Bengaluru, one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Against this backdrop, the study was conducted to assess the prevalence of malnutrition among women and adolescents and its association with various socio-economic variables.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is a part of Indo-German Collaborative Research project titled “The Rural-Urban Interface of Bangalore–A Space of Transitions in Agriculture, Economics and Society” – Sub project “Food Insecurity at Different Stages of Urbanization.” The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), GOI, New Delhi, India (Sanction order: BT/IN/German/DFG/14/BVCR/2016 dated 16th November 2016) is duly acknowledged for the financial support for this project.
Citation
Bellundagi, V., Umesh, K.B., Ashwini, B.C. and Hamsa, K.R. (2022), "Prevalence of malnutrition among women and adolescent girls: impact of urbanization in rural–urban interface of Bangalore", British Food Journal, Vol. 124 No. 12, pp. 4200-4218. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-03-2021-0281
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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