Health and Nutrition of Women in

Drought Prone Area of Maharashtra

Submitted By:Aayushi Jain

Why is such a study?• Weather variability and climate extremes are leading to exacerbating impacts, frequency, duration and severity

of droughts in different world’s region (IPCC 2013)

• Least developed countries are abated by dire consequences of drought due to high level of vulnerability coupled with low resilience

• Min of Water Resources considers, 68% of the country prone to drought in varying degrees (http://wrmin.nic.in/forms/list.aspx?lid=312)

• Maharashtra is one of the 12 Indian agriculturally important but drought vulnerable states, remains under scrutiny of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for intermittent reporting of vegetation conditions at micro-level, especially during Kharif season

• Deccan plateau, home to about 12 percent state population of Maharashtra, underscores about 50% drought prone areas of the state, where, once in 5 years deficient rainfall is reported and severe drought conditions occur once every 8-9 years

• Women are often disproportionately affected by drought conditions; as primary managers of households

• While recent evidence suggests fresh starts by many empowered women’s group setting up fight against drought conditions

• It is imperative to assess health and nutrition conditions of women living in drought stricken villages, based on a primary account, made on those who fights the conditions day-in and day-out

Why such a Study

Background to the study...

• Attempts to gather research based evidence to link food consumption practices and its effect on women’s health in three villages of Maharashtra

• Looking at various health problems that women face and their

direct and indirect determinants

• Specific focus maintained on dietary practices, considering its explicit linkage to drought and availability of food for women’s consumption and related health impacts

Background to the Study

Specific objectives

• To document the dietary intake of the women of age group 15 to 49.

• To identify the factors contributing towards the health problems faced by the women of age group 15 to 49 in rural areas.

• To understand the relation between health problems women face due to imbalance dietary intake and other socio-economic factors.

Study Area:

State: Maharashtra Taluka: Gangapur District: Aurangabad Villages: Bhoigaon,Padampur,Malunja.kd

Study area...Study Area

Brief Background of the Three Study Villages

• Malunja Kh -198 households, 902 populations 443 women of different ages. Women’s main occupation agriculture, 184 women were found involved in agricultural work

• Padampur is a small village -household 61 and population of 270, with 113 of different ages. Lack of handholding leaves very few women go for agriculture work at their farm, in all 30 women were found to go for work or labor at industry and at other’s farm

• Bhoigaon -1144 population and 218 households, with 557 women. Widespread illiteracy, with more than half the women illiterate. Main occupation of women agriculture, 142 women reported to have their own farm and 120 women go to others farm and work as labor

Data Analysis

Secondary Data Review

Primary Data

Collection

• Literature • Survey Data

• Interview• Dietary Diversity Score• Observation

• Microsoft Excels• SPSS-20• Body Mass Index (BMI)

– WHO Index

Sample Size: 72 womenMethodology

Survey Instrument & Measurement of Biomarkers

• Two Focus group discussion were organized in each village, so that women can understand purpose of the study and feel free to share the information.

• The individual interview was self-conducted, so that there is no error during the interpretation of the data. The semi-structured questionnaire was conducted and then the questionnaire on dietary divert was use.

• The weight and height of the women were also collected to check their BMI (Body Mass Index).

• The hemoglobin data is secondary data, the camp was organized by Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) in month of March, 2016 as part of their project. All the women who were interviewed went for the HB camp.

• The survey was conducted between February – March, 2016

Construction of Dietary Diversity Score

• The purpose to use dietary score in the study is to find out does women suffer health problems due to their dietary pattern.

• The respondents were asked about their daily consumption of different items, from the diverse set of food-groups, by recall method(24 hr and 7days).

• Score “1” was given to the food group consumed by the women, and “0” which they haven't consumed it.

ISTUDY CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Background Variables

•Occupation

·Number children

·Mean spacing

·Age of Marriage

·Active hours in a day

·Source of water.

·Usage of toilet.

Proximate Variable

•Dietary Intake Score

Outcome Variable

•BMI

·HB

·Health problems faced in general

·Undesired incidences faced during pregnancy

Profile of the Women

• Nearly, 37.6 % of total women interviewed were found illiterate

• Almost,78% women were married before the legal age(18year) of marriage

• Nearly, 48.6% of women work on their own farm and 33.3% of women have to go to others farm of nearby village or in their own village. There are 29% women who actually work on their own farms as well as go to others’ fields, to do labor work

• Out of 48.6% females who have latrine at their home only 29% of women were found using those, the rest of the women go for open defecation

• The overall availability of water resources in all the three villages was found shrinking. The frequency of water availability through government tap or tanker is still better in winters, in months of summer the supply of water decreases and demand increases.

Starchy Staples

Dark Green Vegitables

Vitamin A rich Veg and Fruits

Other Veg and Fruits

Meat and Fish

Eggs

Legumes,nuts and seeds

Milk and Milk Product

0

50

100

100.0

79.2

38.9

56.931.9

13.0

41.3

16.7

Consumption of different food groups in 7 days

Food Groups

Health and Nutrition Status of Women

• Almost, 59.7 women were found under weight(>18.5)

• Almost 45.8% women have their hemoglobin even less than 9 g/dL, demonstrating severe anemic conditions

• The majority of the women mentioned that they suffer from “weaknesses” (66.7%)

• Nearly 33.3% of women reportedly experienced miscarriage . Common triggers like heavy field based works, frequent travels in unsafe conditions by trucks etc.

Attributes BMI HB DIS

Body Mass Index Score (BMI)

1

Hemoglobin Level (HB)

.522** 1

Dietary Index Score (DIS)

.120 .575** 1

N 72 72 72

Significance level ** p <.001

Correlation Coefficient showing Association between Women’s BMI, HB and DI Scores

RESULTS FROM CORRELATION AND REGRESSION

Women demonstrated better HB level with higher Dietary Score and higher BMI.

The women, who consumed less diverse foods, showed lower hemoglobin counts. The

strong, positive correlation can also be seen between BMI and hemoglobin, since the

growth of the body also depends on food consumption and hemoglobin in the body.

Variables B P

Age of Marriage -0.069 0.0

HB -0.102 0.0

BMI -0.02 0.059

DSI -0.115 0.002

Logistic Regression Results for Dependent Variable: Maternal health problems

An year of increase in women’s age at marriage

is found to reduce the likelihood of health

problems almost by 7 percent (6.9 %).

An unit increase in HB level has shown

decrease in women’s maternal health problem

by 10 %.

An unit increase in dietary diversity score has

decreased the likelihood of occurrence of

women’s maternal health problems by 11.5 %.

Logistic Regression Results for Dependent Variable: Physical health problems.

Variables B pMaternal health

problems.260 .063

Education -.025 .005

BMI -.029 .019

HB -.061 .034

DSI -.113 .005

A unit increase in BMI has shown

decrease in women health problem by

6.1%.

An unit increase in HB level has shown

decrease in women’s health problem by

6.1 %.

An unit increase in dietary diversity score

has decreased the likelihood of

occurrence of women’s health problems

by 11.3 %.

Recommendations

• Awareness and regular monitoring: at block level to guide the women about cycle of malnutrition. Women were grossly found lacking knowledge about nutritious food available at lesser prices which could be adding huge value for better health and nutritional status.

• Consulting women : It is important to involve women in all stages of drought management process. The women work closely with these resources so any type of intervention or program should involve women.

• Mobilizing other family Members: the study found men not aware about the dietary habits of their partners. Lack of care from family as a whole needs to be improved

• Education: An empowered and optimally aware woman can teach whole family. The women take decision for the household activities and use of resource so it’s important that females are educated

• Diversification of livelihood options: The main occupation in the village is agriculture, in drought years women have to travel long n search for job. They end up working as labor in nearby factories. If the multiple livelihood options can be created in village they can save the time in traveling and also their health can be improve .

Thank you