Is Dietary Diversity Associated with the Nutritional Status of Children between the Age 6-23 Months in India: Evidence from Indian Demographic Health Survey

Strong Marbaniang, St Anthony's College

Dietary diversity is an indicator to evaluate children’s feeding practices and nutrition; therefore, understanding the association between dietary diversity and undernutrition will help in identifying the strategies to prevent child undernutrition. Thus, we assessed the linkages between dietary diversity on selected indicators of undernutrition, namely, stunting, wasting, and underweight. The study utilized the Indian National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21). A dietary diversity score was computed by summing up the food groups score. Minimum Dietary Diversity was achieved if a child consumed at least five out of eight food groups. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between dietary diversity and child undernutrition. The study includes a sample of 64,559 children of age 6-23 months. Only 23.21% of the total children received the minimum dietary diversity. Most commonly consumed food group is grains roots and tubers (65.95%), and the least consumed is meat and flesh (10%). The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) shows that children who achieved MDD were less likely to be stunted (AOR=0.95; 95% CI: 0.89, 0.99), underweight (AOR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.93), and wasted (AOR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.88, 0.98). Inadequate dietary diversity among children aged 6-23 months, is associated with malnourishment in India.

Keywords: Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Health and Morbidity, Data and Methods, Mathematical demography

See paper.