KARNATAKA - of Planning Commission

Demography, Health and NutritionAbout 42 per cent ofwomen in the reproductiveage are anaemic. All agegroups are uniformlyaffected, with a slightlyhigher prevalence inyounger ages, which isa matter of concern, asthey constitute the largestproportion of the fertilepopulation among womenin the state.Women’s nutritionThe consumption of a varied and nutritious diet iscrucial for the health of all people but particularlyfor women in the reproductive age. For abalanced diet adequate quantities of protein, fat,carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins are requiredand these are found in meat, fi sh, egg, milk, pulses,cereals, vegetables and fruit. NFHS-2 data on theconsumption pattern among married women(Table 6.21) shows that a majority consumepulses and milk/curd at least once a week. Morethan 90 per cent eat vegetables once a week andabout 54 per cent eat fruit at least once a week.Women in urban areas consume a greater varietyof food items than rural women. The consumptionof all food items is relatively low among SC andST women. Women with a high standard of livinginevitably have the highest consumption of allfood items.The nutritional status of the ever marriedwomen is expressed through body mass index(BMI). The BMI is the product of weight inkilograms divided by squared height in metresand expressed as (kg/m 2 ). The cut-off point forheight, below which a woman can be identifi edas nutritionally at risk, is in the range of 140-150cm. The average height of women in Karnatakais 152 centimetres (one cm taller than theall-India average). The mean height for womenin Karnataka varies slightly among differentgroups and only about 10 per cent are under145 centimetres in height.The mean BMI for women in Karnataka is 20 andvaries within a small margin of 19-23 in differentgroups. About 39 per cent of women have aBMI below 18.5 indicating a high prevalenceof nutritional defi ciency. Nutritional defi ciency ishigher among women who are from rural areas,illiterate, low income and among SCs and STs.(Table 6.22).The percentage of women with BMI below thenorm is 38.8 in Karnataka as compared to 35.8per cent for all-India. A comparison with thesouthern states shows that Karnataka has thehighest proportion of women with BMI below thenorm (Table 6.23).Anaemia among womenGiven the inadequacy of their diet, iron defi ciencyanaemia is widely prevalent among the evermarried women in the age group 15-49. About42 per cent of women in the reproductive age areanaemic. All age groups are uniformly affected,with a slightly higher prevalence in younger ages,which is a matter of concern, as they constitutethe largest proportion of the fertile populationamong women in the state. In order of severity,Background characteristicsTABLE 6.21Women’s food consumption by background characteristics (at least once a week)Milk or curdPulses orbeansGreen leafyvegetablesType of foodOthervegetablesFruits Eggs Meat or chickenor fishResidence Urban 85.7 99.2 96.1 96.1 72.2 50.8 44.6EducationCasteRural 70.1 98.3 91.7 89.5 43.8 34.0 28.2Illiterate 65.2 98.2 91.6 88.8 38.2 36.6 31.1Literate 88.0 99.0 95.2 95.6 71.6 44.3 38.0SCs 55.7 97.9 92.2 91.0 39.8 49.4 44.5STs 62.7 98.1 90.2 86.6 38.1 37.2 26.6Low 57.6 98.0 90.2 86.9 33.3 35.3 29.9Standard ofMedium 78.4 98.7 90.2 92.1 54.0 40.6 33.8livingHigh 94.6 99.4 98.1 92.1 82.6 44.4 39.8Total 75.5 98.6 93.3 91.8 53.7 39.9 33.9Source: NFHS-2, Karnataka 1998-99.142