Evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development.

<h4>Introduction</h4>While a number of studies have examined the nutritional impacts of agroecological interventions, few have examined impacts on child development, maternal and child anemia, and men's dietary diversity. Moreover, there have been few such evaluations at scale. We e...

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Main Authors: Lakshmi Durga Ch, Yandrapu Bharath, Lilia Bliznashka, Vijay Kumar T, Veerendra Jonnala, Vijayalakshmi Chekka, Srileka Yebushi, Aditi Roy, Nikhil Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy, Poornima Prabhakaran, Lindsay M Jaacks
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2024-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0286356&type=printable
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author Lakshmi Durga Ch
Yandrapu Bharath
Lilia Bliznashka
Vijay Kumar T
Veerendra Jonnala
Vijayalakshmi Chekka
Srileka Yebushi
Aditi Roy
Nikhil Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy
Poornima Prabhakaran
Lindsay M Jaacks
author_facet Lakshmi Durga Ch
Yandrapu Bharath
Lilia Bliznashka
Vijay Kumar T
Veerendra Jonnala
Vijayalakshmi Chekka
Srileka Yebushi
Aditi Roy
Nikhil Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy
Poornima Prabhakaran
Lindsay M Jaacks
author_sort Lakshmi Durga Ch
collection DOAJ
description <h4>Introduction</h4>While a number of studies have examined the nutritional impacts of agroecological interventions, few have examined impacts on child development, maternal and child anemia, and men's dietary diversity. Moreover, there have been few such evaluations at scale. We evaluated the impact of a large-scale, multi-component food-based nutrition intervention involving homestead food production, nutrition counselling, cooking demonstrations, and crop planning exercises.<h4>Methods</h4>A cross-sectional assessment was conducted in 2021-2022 of 50 intervention villages where the nutrition-sensitive agroecology program had been implemented since 2018 and 79 control villages where only the agroecology program had been implemented. Data on self-reported dietary intake, caregiver-reported early child development, anthropometric measurements, and hemoglobin concentrations were collected using standardized procedures by trained Nutrition Farming Fellows, who were also responsible for implementing the program.<h4>Results</h4>A sample of 3,511 households (1,121 intervention and 2,390 control) participated in the survey. Dietary diversity scores (DDS) among women and men were mean (SD) 6.53 (±1.62) and 6.16 (±1.65), respectively, in intervention villages and 5.81 (±1.58) and 5.39 (±1.61), respectively, in control villages (p<0.01). DDS among children 6-24 months of age in intervention and control villages was 2.99 (±1.52) and 2.73 (±1.62), respectively (p<0.01). Children <2 years of age were less likely to be anemic in intervention versus control villages (59% versus 69%, p<0.01). Children 18-35 months age in intervention villages had higher child development scores than children in control villages (all p<0.05).<h4>Conclusion</h4>Nutrition-sensitive agroecological programs may be effective in improving diets, nutrition, and child development in rural India.
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spelling doaj-art-ebe21036ed6a4dc08bd334ccbd85eb662025-08-20T02:23:16ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-01195e028635610.1371/journal.pone.0286356Evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development.Lakshmi Durga ChYandrapu BharathLilia BliznashkaVijay Kumar TVeerendra JonnalaVijayalakshmi ChekkaSrileka YebushiAditi RoyNikhil Srinivasapura VenkateshmurthyPoornima PrabhakaranLindsay M Jaacks<h4>Introduction</h4>While a number of studies have examined the nutritional impacts of agroecological interventions, few have examined impacts on child development, maternal and child anemia, and men's dietary diversity. Moreover, there have been few such evaluations at scale. We evaluated the impact of a large-scale, multi-component food-based nutrition intervention involving homestead food production, nutrition counselling, cooking demonstrations, and crop planning exercises.<h4>Methods</h4>A cross-sectional assessment was conducted in 2021-2022 of 50 intervention villages where the nutrition-sensitive agroecology program had been implemented since 2018 and 79 control villages where only the agroecology program had been implemented. Data on self-reported dietary intake, caregiver-reported early child development, anthropometric measurements, and hemoglobin concentrations were collected using standardized procedures by trained Nutrition Farming Fellows, who were also responsible for implementing the program.<h4>Results</h4>A sample of 3,511 households (1,121 intervention and 2,390 control) participated in the survey. Dietary diversity scores (DDS) among women and men were mean (SD) 6.53 (±1.62) and 6.16 (±1.65), respectively, in intervention villages and 5.81 (±1.58) and 5.39 (±1.61), respectively, in control villages (p<0.01). DDS among children 6-24 months of age in intervention and control villages was 2.99 (±1.52) and 2.73 (±1.62), respectively (p<0.01). Children <2 years of age were less likely to be anemic in intervention versus control villages (59% versus 69%, p<0.01). Children 18-35 months age in intervention villages had higher child development scores than children in control villages (all p<0.05).<h4>Conclusion</h4>Nutrition-sensitive agroecological programs may be effective in improving diets, nutrition, and child development in rural India.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0286356&type=printable
spellingShingle Lakshmi Durga Ch
Yandrapu Bharath
Lilia Bliznashka
Vijay Kumar T
Veerendra Jonnala
Vijayalakshmi Chekka
Srileka Yebushi
Aditi Roy
Nikhil Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy
Poornima Prabhakaran
Lindsay M Jaacks
Evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development.
PLoS ONE
title Evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development.
title_full Evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development.
title_fullStr Evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development.
title_full_unstemmed Evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development.
title_short Evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development.
title_sort evidence of potential impacts of a nutrition sensitive agroecology program in andhra pradesh india on dietary diversity nutritional status and child development
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0286356&type=printable
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