Assessment of Nutritional Status and Food Expenditure Pattern of Women Beneficiaries Employed in MGNREGA
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Date
2014
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MPUAT, Udaipur
Abstract
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act aims at enhancing livelihood security and food security of rural households of the country by guaranteed wage employment. Provision of employment opportunities and income to rural women is one way to improve nutrition, health; education and social status as one third of the beneficiaries in MGNREGA are rural farm women. The present study was undertaken with the objective to assess the nutritional profile of MGNREGA women beneficiaries and to study the effect of MGNREGA on their food expenditure pattern. The study was conducted in Baran district of Rajasthan. Five villages namely Laxmipura ,Chainpura, Ratanpura,Govindpura and Khedliganj from Atru panchayat samiti were identified for the study. Twenty five women beneficiaries from each village were selected making a total of 125 women beneficiaries. Interview schedule was developed and pretested for collecting general information regarding MGNREGA and food expenditure pattern. Nutritional status of women was assessed using anthropometric measurements like weight, height, waist circumference and hip circumference. The values were used to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) respectively. Dietary survey was conducted using 24 hours recall method for one day.
The results revealed that mean height, weight, BMI and WHR of the subjects was 154.6cm, 48.16 kg, 20.35kg/m2 and 0.77 respectively. The mean dietary intake of cereal, pulses, milk and milk products, root and tubers, green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, fruit, sugar and fats and oil (visible) were (268±100.07), (36.32±22.23), (74.88±46.77), (44.4±35.72), (74.72± 46.51), (66.24±34.91), (16.32±36.17), (22.76±4.37) and (19.56±3.52) respectively by the beneficiaries.
Nutrient intake calculated by using Food Composition Tables (Gopalan et al., 1989) and DBMS package was compared with Recommended Dietary Allowances (NIN, 2010). Results reveal that the intake of carbohydrates and energy was significantly lower, whereas no significant difference was found in intake protein, fat, iron calcium, zinc, beta carotene and ascorbic acid by subjects as compared to RDA. Though their dietary intake was low but the nutrient intake was nearly adequate to RDA. This reflects the positive effect of low cost qualitative food.
It was reported by most of the respondents that MGNREGA helped them not only to increase their monthly income and food expenditure pattern but also in reducing debt. Mean income of the subjects was increased significantly from ` 1028 to ` 2413/- , along with increase mean expenditure on food items ranging from ` 1049.6 to ` 1596. MGNREGA has substantially improved the purchasing power leading to provision of quality food from hand to mouth. A noticeable increase in expenditure was found on cereals, pulses, milk and milk products, vegetables, edible oils, sugar and spices.
Thus it can be concluded that MGNREGA scheme has positive effect on income level of women beneficiaries and improve food expenditure pattern. The change in food expenditure and dietary pattern may lead to better nutritional status of the beneficiaries on future.
Description
Assessment of Nutritional Status and Food Expenditure Pattern of Women Beneficiaries Employed in MGNREGA
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Tripathi and