Treatment and prevention of malnutrition among infants and young children in Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Malnutrition is a severe problem in India. As it impairs health, implementation of preventive measures is of high importance. Lack of knowledge and money were found to be important predictors for malnutrition in the study population in Birbhum District, West Bengal, India. Therefore, these aspects were addressed in the study. Two types of cooking workshops were conducted with rural mothers. First, the impact of increased nutritional education was assessed by combining nutritional training and practical realization during cooking. Second, a newly developed nutrient-rich meal was implemented and its acceptance was evaluated. The combination of cooking and education improved the nutritional value of the prepared meals. The newly implemented dish contained even higher amounts of micronutrients and was well accepted. However, more improvement is still necessary to meet the dietary requirements. Therefore, nutrition education should be combined with other measures to address all aspects of malnutrition including affordability of food.

Keywords: malnutrition, prevention, children, nutrition education.

Bitte zitieren Sie diesen Beitrag wie folgt:

Beitze, D. (2017). Treatment and prevention of malnutrition among infants and young children in Birbhum District, West Bengal, India. "forsch!" - Studentisches Online-Journal der Universität Oldenburg, 1, 87-99.

https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:101:1-201705056876