Malnutrition and Household Food Insecurity in Children Attending Anganwadi Centres in a District of North East India

BACKGROUND: Child malnutrition is linked to household food insecurity. Literature reveals mixed results, but most studies were carried out in adults. AIMS: The aim of this study is to assess household food insecurity and nutritional status in children attending Anganwadi centers (AWCs) of Dibrugarh district. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study among 510 randomly selected children attending AWCs in Dibrugarh was done. Data on nutritional status and food security were collected, and anthropometric measurements were recorded. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Categorical variables presented as percentages and differences between them tested using Chi-square test. Bivariate analysis was performed to find out independent risk factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight was 39.8%, 26.1%, and 39.2%, respectively. Significant associations found between wasting, stunting, or underweight and household food insecurity. Stunting, wasting, and underweight were significantly associated with the literacy status of parents. Underweight and stunting were also associated with socioeconomic class. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition in all forms is common in the study population. Rates of stunting, wasting, and underweight were higher than the state average. Along-with access to food, an integrated approach that improves the overall socioeconomic well-being of families and parental education is needed.