Nutritional Status and Knowledge of Hill Women on Anemia: Effect of Various Socio-demographic Factors

Anemia is a common health problem among women throughout the world. However, there has been minimal research on women’s concepts of anemia. The present study was thus undertaken with the objective to assess the nutritional status of rural hill women and to study the knowledge of hill women regarding nutritional anemia . In addition to this, the effect of various socio-economic and demographic factors on the nutritional anemia related knowledge of hill women. The crosssectional study was carried out in three villages of Nainital District, Uttarakhand. The study was confined to the women of age group of 18-45 years. A total of 223 women were selected randomly. Their knowledge was tested and socio-demographic and nutritional profile was recorded. From the outcome of study it was observed that mean percent knowledge score of subjects was 23.28. Knowledge scores were found to be increasing with decreasing age and they were significantly associated with educational status. Mean height of subjects was 151.21 cm and mean weight of subjects was 48.76 kg. BMI calculations revealed that 41 % subjects were suffering from various degrees of malnutrition. Conclusion was that knowledge of rural women was found to be very poor in regard of nutritional anemia, nutritional status of as high as 41 % subjects was unsatisfactory. To eradicate the problem of nutritional anemia a more intense awareness campaign is required in the region. Address correspondence to: Dr. Shweta Upadhyay, Senior Lecturer Lovely School of Hospitality (Nutrition & Dietetics), Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144 402 Punjab, India Telephone: 91-1824 -404404 E-mail: shwetasupadhyay@gmail; [email protected] INTRODUCTION Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common form of malnutrition in the world and is the eighth leading cause of disease in girls and women in developing countries (World Bank 1993). About one-third of the global population is anemic (WHO 2010). Its estimated prevalence in South-East Asia is 50% to 70% (UNICEF 2002). In India, twothirds of the women of child bearing age are estimated to suffer from iron deficiency anemia. Reports indicate that 15 per cent of all maternal deaths are attributed to anemia (IIPS 2007; Chakma 2000; National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau 2002; Micronutrient Initiative 2007). The high prevalence of anemia among women in India is a burden for them, for their families, and for the economic development and productivity of the country (Bentley and Griffiths 2003). Whereas severe anemia is closely related to risk of mortality, even mild anemia carries health risks and reduces the capacity to work (Cohen and Gibor 1980). Severe anemia is known to result in obstetric risks such as foetal complications and increased infant and maternal mortality, a variety of functional disabilities such as reduced working capacity, defective immune response, impairment of learning ability and physical fitness occur even in mild to moderate anemia. In spite of programmes, there is no significant decline in the prevalence of anemia in the country. Lack of knowledge of the dietary requirements and the nutritive value of different foods is an important contributory cause of widespread occurrence of malnutrition among vulnerable section of the population in the developing countries. Government of India has started many intervention programmes to eradicate the problem of anemia in the country but most of the efforts are towards the supplementation of iron tablets to the women. Ignorance, which is one of the leading causes of malnutrition, has hardly been addressed in these programmes. The present study was thus planned to assess the nutritional anemia related knowledge of hill women, their nutritional status and to see the association of various socio-economic and demographic factors, on the nutritional knowledge of hill women of Uttarakhand.