INFLUENCE OF FATHERS ON NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF THEIR CHILDREN IN RURAL AREA OF DELHI: AN IN-DEPTH STUDY BY MIXED QUALITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACH
Abstract
Background: Many studies in the Indian context have focused primarily on the key role of mothers in the nutritional status of their children, but what is the role of fathers in influencing child nutritional status has not explored so far in the literature.
Material and Methods: The study was done in one Rural Block of Delhi in the area of 2 Anganwadi Centres in the year 2012 among 400 fathers of 400 children studied for their nutritional status between the ages group 0-5 years of 2 Anganwadi Centre's-X and Y. A total of 100 fathers was sampled randomly for data collection by qualitative methods i.e. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) technique (In-depth interviews) and Phenomenographic technique. Two additional Focus group discussions were also conducted on fathers who were not included in in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 18 software and both quantitative, as well as qualitative data, were triangulated to elucidate the role of fathers in deciding the nutritional status of their children.
Results: The proportion of undernourished children was higher in the mild to the moderate category of PEM (53.5% in AWC-X vs 46% in AWC-Y, overall 49.7%). The father’s occupation and literacy were significantly associated with the nutritional status of children (p < 0.01) in the area of both AWCs(X & Y).Conclusion: Fathers can influence child nutritional status significantly. For improving the nutritional status of undernourished children in rural areas of Delhi, the father can also play an active role, provided they are also sensitized well by ICDS & health department.
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References
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