Preliminary Factsheet of Malnutrition among Adults in Karnataka: Revelations from NFHS-4 and NFHS-5: A Review

Abstract

In India there are wide variations in the malnutrition status between the States as it is having diversified climatic conditions. This study investigates the current situation of malnutrition among adults of Karnataka state. In this review the secondary data of NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-20) were used for analysis. The data certainly showed that malnutrition is indeed one of the most underrated problems faced by the state. Over NFHS-4 to NFHS-5, there was reduction in under nutrition of urban and rural women by 20.37 and 18.11 per cent respectively. Whereas overweight/obese was increased much more in both men and women but in case of men population it is alarming with 14.20 and 18.40 per cent increase in urban and rural respectively. In case of vulnerable groups like pregnant and breast feeding women, anaemia has been increased to about 50 per cent. Compared to earlier data, South Karnataka districts showed improvement by reducing the anaemia status of women. Over the course of time, Governments have initiated several large scale supplementary feeding programmes. Even though most of these programmes which are aimed at children, lactating mothers, pregnant women and women in reproductive age groups have brought in results, its large scale implementation is still a distant dream for the nation.