This document discusses a study on the health and nutrition of women in drought-prone areas of Maharashtra, India. The study assessed 72 women across 3 villages, examining their dietary intake, health problems, and related socioeconomic factors. Key findings include: 59.7% of women were underweight, 45.8% were severely anemic, and many reported weaknesses and miscarriages. Higher hemoglobin levels and dietary diversity scores correlated with higher BMI and fewer health problems. Regression analysis found that higher age at marriage, hemoglobin, BMI, and dietary diversity can reduce health issues. The document recommends improving awareness, education, livelihood options, and involving women in drought management to address nutritional deficiencies.

1. Health and Nutrition of Women in
Drought Prone Area of Maharashtra
Submitted By:
Aayushi Jain

2. 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

3. 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

4. • 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.

5. Study Area:
State: Maharashtra Taluka: Gangapur
District: Aurangabad Villages: Bhoigaon,Padampur,Malunja.kd
Study area...

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. I
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

11. 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.

12. 100
79.2
38.9
56.931.9
13.0
41.3
16.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
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
Consumption of different food groups in 7 days
Food Groups

13. 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.

14. 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
 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.

15. 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 p
Maternal 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 %.

16. 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 .