Interrelationship between agriculture and nutrition for enhancement in nutritional status of pregnant women

Abstract

In Bihar 45% of women has a BMI below 18.5, indicating a high prevalence of nutritional deficiency and 58.3% pregnant women are anaemic (NFHS-IV, 2015-2016).The aim of the study is to raise Nutrition status of Pregnant women of Patna district by application of direct agriculture intervention method i.e. sack farming, kitchen gardening, livestock production and adopting new technology of farming SRI and SWI etc and by behavior change communication.Cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of 1 year on 200 pregnant women (age 18 to35 year) from 1st trimester to till birth of babies. Samples were selected by incidental-cum purposive sampling. Anthropometric measurements and bio-chemically measurement were recorded using standardized methodology as recommended by World Health Organization along with BCC. Baseline and end line data were analysed. Data were analyzed using computer software Microsoft Excel for windows and all results were evaluated statistically by applying the SPSSPC package (version 9.0, SPSS, Chicago, Illinois, USA.). Baseline and end line data were analysed. Majority of pregnant women were from low socioeconomic group (59%), joint family (62.5%) and illiterate (34.7%). Majority of women, when bio-chemically examined they were found in anaemic condition at baseline 8.8 ± 0.82 but at end line the level was 11.88 ± 1.18. The mean of Body Mass Index (BMI) of pregnant women were 17.4± 1.67 and 23 ± 2.35 respectively baseline and end line. Seventy one per cent of women have been given the birth of normal body weight babies. There was great impact on the nutritional status of pregnant women who got balanced diet due to improvement in production in agricultural products and consumption of food product by women regularly and improvement in behavioural change due to nutrition education.