NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES

1. MALNUTRITION IN WOMEN

2. • Malnutrition, defined as ill health caused by deficiencies of calories, protein,
vitamins, and minerals interacting with infections and other poor health.
• One of the major causes for malnutrition in India is economic inequality.
• Nutrition-deficient individuals are more likely to have infectious diseases such
as pneumonia and tuberculosis, which lead to a higher mortality rate.
• Over-nutrition also has severe consequences.
• Obesity causes several non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular
diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases.[2]

3. CAUSES
• Socio-economic status
Poor are at risk for under-nutrition, in India while those who have high socio-
economic status are relatively more likely to be over-nourished.
• Region
Under-nutrition is more prevalent in rural areas
• Female population
1. Dual burden- Dual burden is characterized as undernutrition in the form of obesity or
underweight, existing within an individual and/or at a societal level.
2. Anemia
3. Domestic violence- psychological and physical abuse

4. • Patriarchal mindset:
• Early Marriage: Which make them deprived of iron reach diet and also leads to early sex
and child bearing.
• Social status: Preference of male child over the girl child affecting the girl health the
most.
• Low diet diversity:
• Poverty:
• Low literacy:
• Lack of awareness: Lack of awareness among the people about the importance of
particular nutrition and vitamins make the situation worst.
• Women’s reproductive biology and lack of access to healthcare & proper
medicines:

5. POOR NUTRITION THROUGHOUT THE LIFE
CYCLE OF WOMEN

6. Government measures undertaken to tackle
Malnutrition
• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme.
• National Health Mission.
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
• Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojna (IGMSY).
• Mother’s Absolute Affection.
• SABLA.
• National Nutrition Mission (POSHAN Abhiyaan) seeks to ensure a
“malnutrition free India” by 2022.
• Strengthen MGNREGA to ensure better food security.

7. Measures to Address Malnutrition
• Improving the quantity and nutrient level of food consumed in the household:
• Improving access to generalized household food ration through public distribution system.
• Also providing access to supplementary foods under the integrated child development
services scheme.
• To impart knowledge to improve the local diet, production and household behaviours through
nutrition and health education.

8. • Preventing micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia:
• This through providing the Iron Folic Acid Supplementation deworming,
• Pre and peri-conceptual folic acid supplementation, Universal access to iodized salt,
• Malaria prevention and treatment in malaria-endemic areas,
• Access to knowledge and support to stop use of tobacco products during pregnancy,
• Maternal calcium supplementation, Maternal vitamin A supplementation.

9. • Increasing women’s access to basic nutrition and health services:
• By providing early registration of pregnancy and quality of antenatal check-up
• Emphasis on pregnancy weight gain monitoring, screening and special care of at-risk
mothers.
• Improving access to water and sanitation health (WASH) education and facilities:
• By providing sanitation and hygiene education, including menstrual hygiene.

10. • Empowering women to prevent pregnancies too early, too often and too close
together:
• By ensuring marriage at/after legal age of 18 through awareness and ensuring a girl
completes secondary education.
• Also preventing maternal depletion by delaying first pregnancy and repeated
pregnancies through family planning, reproductive health information, incentives
and services.

11. • Expanding the maternity entitlement:
• Promoting community support system for women, skill development, economic
empowerment as part of maternity entitlement.
• Providing community support system for women to support decision making,
confidence building, skill development and economic empowerment.