Gendered Differences in Nutritional status of Fish Consuming Households in Kerala, India
Gendered Differences in Nutritional status of Fish Consuming Households in Kerala, India
Date
2020
Authors
Jeyanthi, Pe. Jeyya
. Sankar, T.V
Anandan, R.
Mathew, Suseela
Gopal, Nikita
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Society of Fisheries Technologists (India)
Abstract
Abstract
Malnutrition, the deficiencies, excesses or imbalances
in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients,
covers two groups of conditions viz., ‘under
nutrition’ and ‘over nutrition’. Malnutrition impacts
globally across households, communities and countries
with 0.46 and 1.90 billion adults being in under
and over nutrition conditions, respectively. The level
of malnutrition is generally higher among women
and children. A cross-sectional study was undertaken
to assess the nutritional status in Vadi and
Kottarakkara villages, Kollam District, Kerala, India
with emphasis on gender differences in the nutritional
status of fish consuming households. The
Body Mass Index (BMI) of children, adolescents and
adults was calculated as per World Health
Organisation (WHO) classification. In coastal
village, 55% of boys and girls were of normal
weight, and in non-coastal village 40.74% boys and
60.47% girls were normal weight. BMI of adolescents
showed that 55.17% of boys and 63.64% girls
were underweight. Majority of adults (64.71%)
showed normal weight which included 56% women
and 73% men. There is no prominent gender
difference in nutritional status and demography,
literacy and job were found to influence the
nutritional status of fishers.
Description
Keywords
Malnutrition, nutritional status, gendered differences