ISBN: 978-93-7143-285-6
97
Chap e - 6
Impac O Ma e nal S a us on Child Nu i ion Among he
Anal and The Moyon Naga T ibes O Chandel, Manipu : A
Compa a i e S udy
D . L. Khiloni
Assis an P o esso , Dep . o An h opology, Sou h Eas
Manipu College, Komla habi
Co esponding Email:[email p o ec ed]om
ABSTRACT:
The p esen s udy in es iga es he nu i ional s a us o Anal
and Moyon child en using he Gomez classi ica ion and
examines he in luence o ma e nal ac o s such as nu i ional
s a us, educa ion, occupa ion and nu i ional knowledge on
mode a e o se e e malnu i ion among hese child en. Da a
collec ed om 245 child en (129 Anal and 116 Moyon) e eal
ha malnu i ion is highly p e alen in bo h communi ies, wi h
45.3% o child en expe iencing mild malnu i ion, 21.6%
mode a e and 5.7% se e e malnu i ion. A s ong associa ion
was obse ed be ween ma e nal cha ac e is ics and he
nu i ional s a us o child en. The p e alence o mode a e o
se e e malnu i ion was highes among child en o
unde weigh mo he s (44.8%), illi e a e mo he s (50%),
cul i a o mo he s (38.2%), and mo he s wi h poo nu i ional
knowledge (30%). In con as , he lowes a es o malnu i ion
we e obse ed among child en o mo he s who we e classi ied
as obese-II (6%), g adua es and abo e (22.6%), go e nmen
Impac O Ma e nal S a us on Child Nu i ion Among The
98
employees (20%), and hose wi h highe nu i ional knowledge
(24.1%). These indings highligh a clea in e se ela ionship
be ween ma e nal educa ion, employmen s a us, nu i ional
knowledge, and child en's nu i ional heal h. The esul s
unde sco e he c i ical ole o ma e nal empowe men and
awa eness in add essing child malnu i ion wi hin hese
communi ies.
Keywo ds: Ma e nal S a us, Malnu i ion, Child Nu i ion,
Anal T ibe, Moyon T ibe,
1. In oduc ion
Child malnu i ion emains a pe sis en public heal h conce n,
pa icula ly in ibal and ma ginalized communi ies whe e
socioeconomic, cul u al and educa ional ba ie s in e sec wi h
heal h and nu i ion ou comes. In India, despi e nume ous
na ional nu i ion p og ams and in e en ions, he bu den o
child malnu i ion con inues o be disp opo iona ely high
among ibal popula ions. The s a e o Manipu , home o
di e se indigenous g oups, e lec s his dispa i y, wi h
signi ican a ia ion in nu i ional indica o s ac oss di e en
communi ies. Ma e nal ac o s a e widely ecognized as key
de e minan s o child heal h and nu i ional s a us. A mo he 's
educa ion, employmen , nu i ional knowledge, and he own
nu i ional s a us di ec ly in luence child- eeding p ac ices,
heal h-seeking beha iou , and household ood secu i y. These
ma e nal a ibu es become especially c ucial in u al and ibal
con ex s, whe e access o heal hca e and nu i ion se ices is
o en limi ed.
D . L. Khiloni
99
This s udy ocuses on wo lesse -s udied Naga ibes o
Manipu — he Anal and he Moyon ibes, esiding in he
Chandel dis ic — o assess he impac o ma e nal s a us on
child nu i ion. While bo h communi ies sha e simila
geog aphic and cul u al se ings, di e ences in socioeconomic
cha ac e is ics and ma e nal p o iles may con ibu e o
a ia ions in child malnu i ion pa e ns. Using he Gomez
classi ica ion, his s udy e alua es he nu i ional s a us o
child en and examines i s associa ion wi h ma e nal ac o s,
including nu i ional s a us (Weisell, 2002), educa ional
a ainmen , employmen s a us, and nu i ional knowledge. By
compa ing he wo ibal g oups, he esea ch aims o iden i y
c i ical ma e nal de e minan s ha in luence child nu i ion
and o highligh a eas o a ge ed in e en ions.
Unde s anding hese ela ionships is essen ial o designing
con ex -speci ic nu i ion policies and imp o ing ma e nal and
child heal h ou comes in ibal egions. These indings
con ibu e o he g owing body o e idence sugges ing ha
ma e nal empowe men , h ough educa ion, employmen
oppo uni ies, and inc eased awa eness can play a
ans o ma i e ole in comba ing child malnu i ion among
unde p i ileged popula ions.
2.Ma e ials & Me hods
The p esen s udy was unde aken o examine he in luence o
a ious ma e nal ac o s on he nu i ional s a us o child en
aged 1 o 5 yea s. Da a collec ion was conduc ed using a
s uc u ed in e iew schedule, speci ically designed o his
pu pose. A doo - o-doo household su ey was ca ied ou
Impac O Ma e nal S a us on Child Nu i ion Among The
100
among selec ed pa icipan s om he Anal and Moyon Naga
ibes in Chandel dis ic , Manipu . Da a o he p esen s udy
comp ise o 245 child en (129 Anal and 116 Moyon) and hei
espec i e mo he s. The in e iew schedule included ques ions
ela ed o he pa icipan s' demog aphic de ails such as name,
age, sex, eligion, and educa ional s a us. Socioeconomic
in o ma ion and ma e nal occupa ional da a we e also
eco ded.
An h opome ic measu emen s we e aken om bo h he
child en (aged 1–5 yea s) and hei espec i e mo he s. These
included:
1. Fo child en: weigh , heigh , head ci cum e ence, uppe
a m ci cum e ence and ches ci cum e ence
2. Fo mo he s: heigh and weigh , which we e used o
calcula e Body Mass Index (BMI)
In addi ion, in o ma ion on die a y pa e ns, ood p e e ences,
and ood habi s o he communi y was documen ed. Clinical
signs o malnu i ion we e obse ed among he child en o
complemen he an h opome ic da a. The Gomez classi ica ion
was used o assess he nu i ional s a us o he child en based
on weigh - o -age. The nu i ional s a us o mo he s was
assessed using BMI ca ego ies as pe WHO guidelines (Weisell,
2002).
3.Resul s & Discussions
Table 1: Dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon Child en by
Nu i ional S a us (Gomez Classi ica ion)
Nu i ional S a us
Anal
Moyon
To al
N
%
N
%
N
%
D . L. Khiloni
101
No mal > 90
33
25.6
34
29.3
67
27.4
Mild Malnu i ion
(75-90)
62
48.1
49
42.2
111
45.3
Mode a e
Malnu i ion (60-
75)
27
20.9
26
22.4
53
21.6
Se e e
Malnu i ion (<60)
7
5.4
7
6.1
14
5.7
To al
129
100.0
116
100.0
245
100.0
Table 1 p esen s he dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en
acco ding o hei nu i ional s a us based on he Gomez
classi ica ion. I indica es ha malnu i ion is qui e p e alen in
bo h communi ies. The pa e n o nu i ional s a us among he
child en in bo h g oups ollows he o de : mild malnu i ion >
mode a e malnu i ion > se e e malnu i ion.
When da a om bo h popula ions a e combined, i is obse ed
ha 45.3% o he child en su e om mild malnu i ion, 21.6%
om mode a e malnu i ion, and 5.7% om se e e
malnu i ion.
Table 2: Dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en su e ing
om mode a e/se e e malnu i ion (Gomez classi ica ion) by
mo he ’s nu i ional s a us(Weisell, C.R.2002)
Nu i ional S a us o
Women
Child en su e ing om
Mode a e/Se e e
Malnu i ion
To al
Child en
Anal
Moyon
N
%
N
%
N
%
Impac O Ma e nal S a us on Child Nu i ion Among The
102
Unde weigh <18.5
18
52.9
12
36.4
30
44.8
No mal 18.5 – 22.9
5
14.7
6
18.2
11
16.4
A isk o obesi y
23.0 -24.9
8
23.5
8
24.2
16
23.9
Obese-I 25-29.9
2
6.0
4
12.1
6
8.9
Obese – II ≥ 30.0
1
2.9
3
9.1
4
6.0
To al
34
100.0
33
100.0
67
100.0
Table 2 shows he dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en
su e ing om mode a e o se e e malnu i ion (as pe he
Gomez classi ica ion), ca ego ized by hei mo he s’ nu i ional
s a us (Weisell, C.R., 2002). In bo h communi ies, he highes
pe cen age o child en su e ing om mode a e/se e e
malnu i ion is ound among unde weigh mo he s: 52.9% in
he Anal g oup and 36.4% in he Moyon g oup. Con e sely, he
lowes pe cen age is obse ed among mo he s classi ied as
Obese-II: 2.9% (Anal) and 9.1% (Moyon). When bo h
popula ions a e combined, unde weigh mo he s accoun o
he highes pe cen age (44.8%) o child en wi h
mode a e/se e e malnu i ion. The lowes combined
pe cen age (6.0%) is ound among child en o Obese-II mo he s.
Compa a i ely, Anal child en o unde weigh mo he s ha e a
highe p e alence o mode a e/se e e malnu i ion (52.9%)
han Moyon child en (36.4%). On he o he hand, among
child en o Obese-II mo he s, he Moyon g oup shows a sligh ly
highe pe cen age (9.1%) han he Anal g oup (2.9%).
Combining bo h popula ions, unde weigh mo he s a e mos
associa ed wi h child en su e ing om mode a e/se e e
malnu i ion (44.8%), while Obese-II mo he s a e leas
associa ed (6.0%).
D . L. Khiloni
103
Table 3: Dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en su e ing
om mode a e/se e e malnu i ion (Gomez classi ica ion) by
mo he ’s educa ion.
Mo he ’s
Educa ion
Child en su e ing om
mode a e/se e e malnu i ion
Anal
Moyon
N
%
N
%
Illi e a e
2
40.0
5
50.0
P ima y
5
38.5
2
40.0
Middle
3
30.0
4
33.3
High School
6
26.1
6
30.0
Highe
Seconda y
9
23.7
9
23.7
G adua e &
abo e
9
22.5
7
22.6
To al
34
26.4
33
28.4
Table 3 p esen s he dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en
su e ing om mode a e o se e e malnu i ion (acco ding o
he Gomez classi ica ion), based on he educa ional le el o
hei mo he s. The da a indica es a clea in e se ela ionship
be ween ma e nal educa ion and he p e alence o
mode a e/se e e malnu i ion among child en. In bo h
communi ies, as he mo he ’s educa ional le el inc eases, he
pe cen age o child en su e ing om malnu i ion dec eases.
Illi e a e mo he s ha e he highes pe cen age o child en
su e ing om mode a e/se e e malnu i ion: 40.0%in he Anal
g oup and 50.0%in he Moyon g oup. In con as , mo he s who
a e g adua es and abo e show he lowes pe cen age: 22.5%
(Anal) and 22.6% (Moyon). This end sugges s ha ma e nal
Impac O Ma e nal S a us on Child Nu i ion Among The
104
educa ion plays a signi ican ole in in luencing he nu i ional
s a us o child en. Highe educa ion le els among mo he s a e
associa ed wi h be e nu i ional ou comes in bo h he Anal
and Moyon popula ions.
Table 4: Dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en su e ing
om mode a e/se e e malnu i ion (Gomez classi ica ion) by
mo he ’s employmen .
Mo he ’s
Occupa ion
Child en su e ing om
mode a e/se e e malnu i ion
Anal
Moyon
N
%
N
%
Cul i a o
13
38.2
12
37.5
Business
3
25.0
4
28.6
Cul i a o +
Business
1
33.3
1
25.0
Go . Employed
5
21.7
1
20.0
House wi e
11
20.4
12
23.5
P i a e eache
1
33.3
3
30.0
To al
34
26.4
33
28.4
Table 4 exhibi s he dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en
su e ing om mode a e o se e e malnu i ion (based on he
Gomez classi ica ion), ca ego ized by hei mo he s'
employmen s a us. In he Anal popula ion, he highes
pe cen age o child en wi h mode a e/se e e malnu i ion is
ound among mo he s who a e cul i a o s (38.2%), while he
lowes is obse ed among housewi es (20.4%). Simila ly, in he
Moyon popula ion, child en o cul i a o mo he s show he
D . L. Khiloni
105
highes pe cen age (37.5%), whe eas he lowes pe cen age is
seen among child en o mo he s employed in go e nmen jobs
(20.0%).
This able highligh s a po en ial link be ween ma e nal
occupa ion and child nu i ional s a us. Child en o mo he s
engaged in cul i a ion end o show highe a es o
malnu i ion, while hose whose mo he s a e go e nmen
employees o housewi es appea o ha e compa a i ely be e
nu i ional ou comes.
Table 5: Dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en su e ing
om mode a e/se e e malnu i ion (Gomez classi ica ion) by
mo he ’s nu i ional knowledge.
Mo he ’s
nu i ional
knowledge
Child en su e ing om mode a e/se e e
malnu i ion
Anal
Moyon
N
%
N
%
Poo
19
29.2
15
30
A e age
10
25.0
11
29.7
Highe
05
20.8
07
24.1
To al
34
26.4
33
28.4
Table 5 shows he dis ibu ion o Anal and Moyon child en
su e ing om mode a e o se e e malnu i ion (as pe he
Gomez classi ica ion) in ela ion o hei mo he s’ nu i ional
knowledge. In bo h popula ions, a highe pe cen age o
child en wi h mode a e/se e e malnu i ion is obse ed among
mo he s wi h poo nu i ional knowledge: 29.2% in he Anal
g oup and 30.0% in he Moyon g oup. Con e sely, mo he s
