Nutritional Status of Rural Oriya Women from Drought Affected Kalahandi District of Orissa

In tropical countries, adult malnutrition has received much less attention than that of the children. The prevalence of adult undernutrition has been high in poor socio-economic groups and continues to be an important public health problem in India. Studies have shown that parents often sacrifice their own feeding in times of serious food shortage in favour of young children. The nutritional and health status of the women both in expectant and nursing mothers have been recognised as important vulnerable phases since pregnancy and child-birth become associated with high risk and need additional nutrients. Ill effects of malnutrition during pregnancy, child births and thereafter (peri-and neo-natal mortality and low-birth weight) are well recognized.