A significant proportion of Indian children aged between 6 and 23 months are not receiving a diverse diet as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a study has revealed.
Around 77 per cent of children in this age group are missing out on the suggested dietary diversity, with the central region of India showing the highest incidence of dietary failure, according to researchers.
The study found that Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh reported alarmingly high levels of inadequate dietary diversity, with rates exceeding 80 per cent.
On the other hand, Sikkim and Meghalaya were the only states to report prevalence figures under 50 per cent.
WHO advises using the Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) score to assess the quality of a child's diet. A diet is considered diverse if it includes five or more food groups such as breastmilk, eggs, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables.
Researchers from the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, using data from the 2019-21 National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-5), noted some improvements.
The overall rate of dietary diversity failure has fallen from 87.4 per cent in 2005-06, based on NFHS-3 data. However, the situation remains concerning.
"Our study shows that the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity failure remains high (above 75 per cent) in India," the study’s authors wrote in a paper published by the National Medical Journal of India.
The team examined children's consumption across various food groups, comparing the latest NFHS-5 data with figures from NFHS-3.
The most notable improvement was the consumption of eggs, which rose from approximately 5 per cent in 2005-06 to over 17 per cent by 2019-21.
The intake of legumes and nuts also saw a slight increase from nearly 14 per cent to over 17 per cent.
"The consumption of vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables increased by 7.3 percentage points, whereas the consumption of fruits and vegetables increased by 13 percentage points over the same time. For flesh foods, the consumption increased by 4 percentage points," the authors explained.
However, there was a slight decline in the consumption of breastmilk, dropping from 87 per cent in NFHS-3 to 85 per cent in NFHS-5. Similarly, dairy product consumption fell from 54 per cent to 52 per cent.
The researchers also found that children born to illiterate mothers, those living in rural areas, and those with little exposure to mass media or healthcare services were more likely to experience dietary diversity failure. Anaemic children and those with low birth weight were similarly at risk.
The authors emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach from the government, which would include strengthening the public distribution system, improving the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, and expanding nutrition counselling efforts, particularly through local governance and social media.
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