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: Renjini B. Ambika, Sobha George, Jeby Jose Olickal, Akhil X. Manuel, Rakesh P. Suseela
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-05-01
Series:Indian Journal of Community Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_750_23
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author Renjini B. Ambika
Sobha George
Jeby Jose Olickal
Akhil X. Manuel
Rakesh P. Suseela
author_facet Renjini B. Ambika
Sobha George
Jeby Jose Olickal
Akhil X. Manuel
Rakesh P. Suseela
author_sort Renjini B. Ambika
collection DOAJ
description 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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1998-3581
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publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
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series Indian Journal of Community Medicine
spelling doaj-art-bb950d4e5fcb4d6c8e0c842c6e32c4f72025-08-20T02:05:23ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsIndian Journal of Community Medicine0970-02181998-35812025-05-0150351651910.4103/ijcm.ijcm_750_23Nutritional Status of Under-5 Children in Migrant Laborer Settlements of Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India – A Mixed Method StudyRenjini B. AmbikaSobha GeorgeJeby Jose OlickalAkhil X. ManuelRakesh P. SuseelaBackground: 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.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_750_23barriersinequityintegrated child development schememalnutritionmigrant childrenservice use
spellingShingle Renjini B. Ambika
Sobha George
Jeby Jose Olickal
Akhil X. Manuel
Rakesh P. Suseela
Nutritional Status of Under-5 Children in Migrant Laborer Settlements of Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India – A Mixed Method Study
Indian Journal of Community Medicine
barriers
inequity
integrated child development scheme
malnutrition
migrant children
service use
title Nutritional Status of Under-5 Children in Migrant Laborer Settlements of Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India – A Mixed Method Study
title_full Nutritional Status of Under-5 Children in Migrant Laborer Settlements of Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India – A Mixed Method Study
title_fullStr Nutritional Status of Under-5 Children in Migrant Laborer Settlements of Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India – A Mixed Method Study
title_full_unstemmed Nutritional Status of Under-5 Children in Migrant Laborer Settlements of Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India – A Mixed Method Study
title_short Nutritional Status of Under-5 Children in Migrant Laborer Settlements of Ernakulam District, Kerala, Southern India – A Mixed Method Study
title_sort nutritional status of under 5 children in migrant laborer settlements of ernakulam district kerala southern india a mixed method study
topic barriers
inequity
integrated child development scheme
malnutrition
migrant children
service use
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_750_23
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