Nutritional Status of Under-5 Children in Migrant Laborer Settlements of Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India – A Mixed Method Study
Background: To assess the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age in migrant laborer settlements and their utilization of Integrated Child Development Scheme services in Ernakulam district, Kerala. Material and Methods: A mixed method study includes a community-based cross-sectional surv...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Indian Journal of Community Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_750_23 |
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| Summary: | Background:
To assess the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age in migrant laborer settlements and their utilization of Integrated Child Development Scheme services in Ernakulam district, Kerala.
Material and Methods:
A mixed method study includes a community-based cross-sectional survey among 165 migrant under-5 children selected through a multistage cluster sampling method and 16 In-Depth Interviews among various stakeholders.
Results:
Of the children studied, 46% were stunted, 26% were wasted, and 12% had severe wasting. About 72% were aware of the nearest Anganwadi, and 49% and 42% of the eligible children received nutritional supplementation and availed the growth monitoring facilities, respectively. Major barriers to utilizing Anganawadi services were language barrier, inconvenient hours of operation, a lack of nutritional supplementation based on their taste, fear of discrimination from the parents of native children, and frequent family displacements.
Conclusions:
Nutritional status of migrant under-5 children is a concern and requires urgent attention. |
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| ISSN: | 0970-0218 1998-3581 |