A Newly Introduced Millet-based Take Home Ration: Utilization, Strength & Challenges in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat
Introduction: The Government of India is promoting millet-based nutrition through Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and POSHAN Abhiyaan. In December 2023, two ICDS blocks of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) implemented a pilot project to provide a millet-based Take Home Ration (THR)...
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Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.healthlinejournal.org/ojs/healthline/article/view/19 |
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| author | Kunj Gajjar Mital Barad Sonal M. Shah Aparajita Shukla Bhavin Joshi |
| author_facet | Kunj Gajjar Mital Barad Sonal M. Shah Aparajita Shukla Bhavin Joshi |
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Introduction: The Government of India is promoting millet-based nutrition through Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and POSHAN Abhiyaan. In December 2023, two ICDS blocks of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) implemented a pilot project to provide a millet-based Take Home Ration (THR). Objectives: To evaluate the utilization and barriers in utilization of a millet-based Take Home Ration compared to the standard Take Home Ration among beneficiaries and to identify strength and challenges in effective implementation of millet-based Take Home Ration. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted across 60 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), with 30 each from millet-based THR and standard THR blocks. Using WHO cluster sampling and Probability Proportional to Size methodology, a total of 1,627 beneficiaries were surveyed—comprising children aged 6 months to 3 years (n1=1178), pregnant women (n2=220), and lactating mothers (n3=229). Data were collected in April 2024, four months post-implementation, using a structured, pilot-tested questionnaire. Results: Utilization of millet-based THR was lower (n=749, 92%) compared to standard THR (n=773, 95%), with a significant gap among children (91.8% vs. 95.9%, p=0.003). However, the frequency of consumption per week (3.4±2.05 vs. 2.3±1.33 times, p<0.001) and monthly packet usage (5.05±1.9 vs. 4.5±2 packet, p<0.001) were significantly higher in the millet-based group. Barriers to utilization included disliking the taste (53%) and appearance (47%). Awareness of the change in THR composition was limited (53%), and recipe demonstrations were not conducted. Conclusion: Millet-based THR was well tolerated with no adverse effects. However, effective implementation requires improved taste, community sensitization and training of Anganwadi workers.
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| spelling | doaj-art-2e4e613e98f44823843887379c6cd0132025-08-20T02:39:59ZengIndian Association of Preventive and Social MedicineHealthline2229-337X2320-15252025-06-0116210.51957/Healthline_725_2025A Newly Introduced Millet-based Take Home Ration: Utilization, Strength & Challenges in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, GujaratKunj Gajjar0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1315-5236Mital Barad1Sonal M. Shah2Aparajita Shukla3Bhavin Joshi4Resident Doctor, Community Medicine Department, Smt NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, IndiaResident Doctor, Community Medicine Department, Smt NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, IndiaAssociate Professor, Community Medicine Department, Smt NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, IndiaProfessor and Head, Community Medicine Department, Smt NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad, IndiaAdditional Medical Officer of Health, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad, India Introduction: The Government of India is promoting millet-based nutrition through Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and POSHAN Abhiyaan. In December 2023, two ICDS blocks of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) implemented a pilot project to provide a millet-based Take Home Ration (THR). Objectives: To evaluate the utilization and barriers in utilization of a millet-based Take Home Ration compared to the standard Take Home Ration among beneficiaries and to identify strength and challenges in effective implementation of millet-based Take Home Ration. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted across 60 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs), with 30 each from millet-based THR and standard THR blocks. Using WHO cluster sampling and Probability Proportional to Size methodology, a total of 1,627 beneficiaries were surveyed—comprising children aged 6 months to 3 years (n1=1178), pregnant women (n2=220), and lactating mothers (n3=229). Data were collected in April 2024, four months post-implementation, using a structured, pilot-tested questionnaire. Results: Utilization of millet-based THR was lower (n=749, 92%) compared to standard THR (n=773, 95%), with a significant gap among children (91.8% vs. 95.9%, p=0.003). However, the frequency of consumption per week (3.4±2.05 vs. 2.3±1.33 times, p<0.001) and monthly packet usage (5.05±1.9 vs. 4.5±2 packet, p<0.001) were significantly higher in the millet-based group. Barriers to utilization included disliking the taste (53%) and appearance (47%). Awareness of the change in THR composition was limited (53%), and recipe demonstrations were not conducted. Conclusion: Millet-based THR was well tolerated with no adverse effects. However, effective implementation requires improved taste, community sensitization and training of Anganwadi workers. https://www.healthlinejournal.org/ojs/healthline/article/view/19ChallengesComparative studyICDSMilletsNutritionTake Home Ration |
| spellingShingle | Kunj Gajjar Mital Barad Sonal M. Shah Aparajita Shukla Bhavin Joshi A Newly Introduced Millet-based Take Home Ration: Utilization, Strength & Challenges in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat Healthline Challenges Comparative study ICDS Millets Nutrition Take Home Ration |
| title | A Newly Introduced Millet-based Take Home Ration: Utilization, Strength & Challenges in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat |
| title_full | A Newly Introduced Millet-based Take Home Ration: Utilization, Strength & Challenges in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat |
| title_fullStr | A Newly Introduced Millet-based Take Home Ration: Utilization, Strength & Challenges in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Newly Introduced Millet-based Take Home Ration: Utilization, Strength & Challenges in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat |
| title_short | A Newly Introduced Millet-based Take Home Ration: Utilization, Strength & Challenges in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gujarat |
| title_sort | newly introduced millet based take home ration utilization strength challenges in ahmedabad municipal corporation gujarat |
| topic | Challenges Comparative study ICDS Millets Nutrition Take Home Ration |
| url | https://www.healthlinejournal.org/ojs/healthline/article/view/19 |
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