Asian Journal of Home Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Nutritional Status and Traditional Health Culture of Tribal Women:A Study in Mayurbhanj District, Odisha


Affiliations
1 Department of Home Science, Rama Devi Women's College, Bhubaneswar (Odisha), India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Every twelveth women in India belong to a tribal community, therefore improving their health status become an important development goal. Odisha has a sizable proportion of tribal population out of which 21 per cent are women in Odisha. A women health affects the household economic, well being and a women with poor health will be less productive in the labour force. Keeping these facts in mind the present research is designed to study the "Nutritional Status and Traditional Health culture of Tribal women in Odisha". One hundred literate tribal women of Jashipur block of Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha were selected by random purposive sampling method for the present study. The data was collected by questionnaire cum interview method. The results of the study revealed that majority of the respondents belonged to 25-40 years of age group having agriculture as primary occupation. All of them belong to low income group. Most of the respondents had normal BMI. Malaria and joint pain was their common health problem. 98 per cent of the respondents were non-vegetarian and were taking three meals per day. Parboiled price was their staple food. "Handia" prepared out of Rice and Bakhara was their common beverage. Milk and meat products, sugar and Jaggery, pulses were found to be less in their diet in comparison to RDA. Their diet was found to be excess in energy, iron and calcium. They were taking various types of foods to get relief from different diseases such as Bug with banana for piles, Handia rasi and Pedipedica leave for Jaundice, Burnt Skin and ear of goat for dyscentry etc. Different types of foods used by them related to reproduction were Palta medicine for son, babul leaves for fair baby, Runja seeds for abortion etc. Health practice for recovery from some type of health problems were burning with fire the effective area and putting bhalia on it for eczema, scald with hot iron on head for migrain etc. 100 per cent of the respondents were found to believe in magic treatment and herbal treatment for getting relief from their illness. Thus it can be concluded that there is an immense need to educate the women to improve their health status by wise use of available food stuffs and availing medical services during their diseased condition.

Keywords

Nutritional Status, BMI, Health Culture, Handia, RDA.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Ali, Almas (1983). Health problems of primitive tribal communities of Orissa. Adivasi, 23 (2).

  • Bag, Hemant and Kapoor (2007). Health management among the Kondh: A primitive tribe of district Kondhmal, Orissa. Genes, Environment & Health Anthropological Perspectives. New Delhi: Serial Publication.

  • Balgir, R.S. (2005). Bio-medical Anthropology in contemporary tribal societies of India Tribal Studies. Tribal situation in India. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company.

  • Behura, N.K. and Mohanty, K.K. (2006) Enthnomedicines and Ethnic Healers in Sustainable Health Care Services, Case studies from Tribal Socities Of Orissa: Readings in Social, Anthropology. New Delhi: Dominant publishers and Distributors.

  • Bulliya, G. (2006). Environment and Health Status of Prinitive Pauri Bhuiyan Tribe in North-Eastern part of Orissa. Anthropology of Primitive Tribes in India : Serial Publication.

  • Das, S. and Bose, K. (2012). Nutritional deprivation among Indian tribals: A cause for concern. Anthropological Notebooks, 18 (2): 5-16.

  • Dash, K.N. (2013). Health status and health care services: A study among the tribal communities of Jajpur district of Odisha. Adivasi, 53 (1 & 2): 27-34.

  • Dash, N.C (2010). Reproductive Health, Nutritional Status and Demographic Profile of Primitive Tribes of Odisha, Report of the Major Research Project, UGC, New Delhi (India).

  • Debnath, D. (2012). Tribal Health and Nutrition Socio Ecological Issues and way Ahead Tribal Health and Nutrition. Jajpur : Rawat Publications.

  • Dhoble, R. and Bairiganjan, S. (2009). Cooking practices and cookstoves field insights pilot study of user experience with traditional and improved cookstoves. Institute for Financial Management and Research. Centre for Development Finance, Chennai, T.N. (INDIA).

  • Dobhle, Neetu and Radhuvanshi, Rita Singh (2012). Nutrition and health status of urban and rural women of Garhwal region. Food Sci. Res. J., 3(2): 221-228.

  • Indira, V. (1993). Nutritional status and dietary habits of Irulas of Attappady. M.Sc. Thesis, Kerala Agricultural University, Thiruvananthapuram, KERALA, INDIA.

  • Jain, N. (2000). Indigenous health care practices prevalent in tribal families of Udaipur district. Thesis, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, RAJASTHAN, INDIA.

  • Joshi, Sweta and Singh, Vishakha (2015). Assessment of food related habits and customs of Bhil tribe of Udaipur District, Rajasthan. Food Sci. Res. J., 6(2): 333-34.

  • Mishra, C.P., Sing, N. and Chakravarty, A. (2002). Dietary pattern of tribal community of Naugarh block. Tribal Health Bulletin, 8 (1): 6-11.

  • Panda, T. and Padhy, R.N. (2006). Sustainable food habits of the hill-dwelling Kandha tribe in Kalahandi district of Orissa. Indian J. Tradit. Knowl., 6 (1) : 103-105.

  • Patil, R., Mittal, A., Khan, M.I. and Raghavia, M. (2010). Taboos and misconceptions about food during pregnancy among rural population of Pondicherry. Calicut Med. J., 8 (2) : 1-4.

  • Pedi, G.K., Dash, N.C. and Dash J. (2013) Reproductive Health Status of the Hill Kharias of Odisha, India. Adivasi., 53 (1 & 2): 12-26.

  • Qamra, S.R., Roy, J. and Mishra, D.K. (2006). Food consumption pattern and associated habits of the Bhil tribe of Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, Proceedings of National Symposium on Tribal health, Regional Tribal Medical Centre, ICMR, Jabalpur. 211-219.

  • Rao, K.M., Balakrishna, N. and Laxmaiah, A. (2006). Diet and nutritional status of adolescent tribal population in nine states of India. Asia Pac. J. Clin, Nut., 15 (1): 64-71.

  • Rao, K.M., Kumar, R.H., Venkaiah, K. and Brahmam, G.N.V. (2006). Nutritional status of Saharia-A primitive tribe of Rajasthan, J.Hum. Ecol., 19 (2): 117-123.

  • Sharma, B. (2003). Traditional practices followed during pregnancy and lactation by Gaddi tribe in Kangra district (H.P.), M.Sc. Thesis, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, RAJASTHAN, INDIA.

  • Shnakar, R. and Geetha, V.J. (2012). Health and Nutritional status of Tribes in India. Tribal Health and Nutrition, Jajpur: Rawat Publications.

  • Sodha, Shital, Jadeja, Rekhaba and Joshi, Hasmukh (2015). Anthropometric assessment of nutritional status of adolescents girls of Porbandar city of Gujarat state. Internat. J. Appl. Soc. Sci., 2 (3&4) : 78-83.

  • Telesara, P. (2000). Traditional dietary practices of tribals during pregnancy and lactation, M.Sc. Thesis, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur RAJASTHAN, INDIA.

  • Vats, Aditi (2006). Nutritional and health status of rural farm women in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttaranchal state. Asian J. Bio Sci., 1 (2) : 45-47.

  • Census of India, (2001). Tribes of Odisha (Special Volume,) Census Operation; Odisha.

  • Jelliffe, D.B. (1996). The Assessment of Nutritional Status of the Community World Helath Organization. Monograph series No. 53.

  • W.H.O. (1946). Preamble to the constitution of the WHO as adopted by the International Health conference New-York : 19-22 June, 1946 and entered in to force on 7th April, 1948.


Abstract Views: 882

PDF Views: 0




  • Nutritional Status and Traditional Health Culture of Tribal Women:A Study in Mayurbhanj District, Odisha

Abstract Views: 882  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Chandrashree Lenka
Department of Home Science, Rama Devi Women's College, Bhubaneswar (Odisha), India

Abstract


Every twelveth women in India belong to a tribal community, therefore improving their health status become an important development goal. Odisha has a sizable proportion of tribal population out of which 21 per cent are women in Odisha. A women health affects the household economic, well being and a women with poor health will be less productive in the labour force. Keeping these facts in mind the present research is designed to study the "Nutritional Status and Traditional Health culture of Tribal women in Odisha". One hundred literate tribal women of Jashipur block of Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha were selected by random purposive sampling method for the present study. The data was collected by questionnaire cum interview method. The results of the study revealed that majority of the respondents belonged to 25-40 years of age group having agriculture as primary occupation. All of them belong to low income group. Most of the respondents had normal BMI. Malaria and joint pain was their common health problem. 98 per cent of the respondents were non-vegetarian and were taking three meals per day. Parboiled price was their staple food. "Handia" prepared out of Rice and Bakhara was their common beverage. Milk and meat products, sugar and Jaggery, pulses were found to be less in their diet in comparison to RDA. Their diet was found to be excess in energy, iron and calcium. They were taking various types of foods to get relief from different diseases such as Bug with banana for piles, Handia rasi and Pedipedica leave for Jaundice, Burnt Skin and ear of goat for dyscentry etc. Different types of foods used by them related to reproduction were Palta medicine for son, babul leaves for fair baby, Runja seeds for abortion etc. Health practice for recovery from some type of health problems were burning with fire the effective area and putting bhalia on it for eczema, scald with hot iron on head for migrain etc. 100 per cent of the respondents were found to believe in magic treatment and herbal treatment for getting relief from their illness. Thus it can be concluded that there is an immense need to educate the women to improve their health status by wise use of available food stuffs and availing medical services during their diseased condition.

Keywords


Nutritional Status, BMI, Health Culture, Handia, RDA.

References