• Abstract

    Investing in nutrition is key to securing a country's future, as poor nutrition during childhood instigates developmental impairment. In India, the Anganwadi service disruption flared child malnutrition during COVID-19. This study explores how Under5 nutritional status was managed in COVID-19 by Anganwadi workers (AWWs) of the ICDS, Kerala. An in-depth interview was conducted among 30 AWWs. The integrative, cost-effective Anganwadi strategy for maintaining child nutritional status in a developing country during a pandemic is an impressive model. However, the lack of direct interactions of AWWs with beneficiaries leads to lowered intake and improper food timing in children as perceived by AWWs.

  • References

    1. Ambast S, Kundu P, Sonawane S (2021) Impact of covid-19 on child nutrition in india: what are the budgetary implications? a policy brief. new delhi: centre for budget and governance accountability (CBGA) and child rights and you (CRY).
    2. Anonymous (2022) Social Justice Department Kerala. Scheme-Info (2022) Available from:http://sjd.kerala.gov.in/website_malayalam/scheme-info.php?schemeid=IDQyc1Y4dXFSI3Z5 Accessed on 16th August 2022.
    3. Azad A, Sernbo E, Svärd V, Holmlund L, Björk Brämberg E (2021) Conducting in-depth interviews via mobile phone with persons with common mental disorders and multimorbidity: the challenges and advantages as experienced by participants and researchers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(22): 11828. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211828
    4. Clapp J, Moseley W, Termine P (2020) Impacts of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition: developing effective policy responses to address the hunger and malnutrition pandemic. Committee on World Food Security High Level Panel of Experts: Rome, Italy.
    5. DiCicco‐Bloom B, Crabtree BF (2006) The qualitative research interview. Medical education 40(4): 314-321. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2929.2006.02418.x
    6. Heera R, Rajeev R (2020) Curbing COVID-19: Kerala model. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology: JOMFP, 24(2): 222.
    7. https://doi.org/10.4103%2Fjomfp.JOMFP_285_20
    8. Hurley KM, Yousafzai AK, Lopez-Boo F (2016) Early child development and nutrition: a review of the benefits and challenges of implementing integrated interventions. Advances in nutrition 7(2): 357-363.
    9. Nanda P, Lewis TN, Das P, Krishnan S (2020) From the frontlines to centre stage: resilience of frontline health workers in the context of COVID-19. Sexual and reproductive health matters, 28(1): 1837413.
    10. https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2020.1837413
    11. Ramakumar R, Eapen M (2021) The legacy of public action and gender-sensitivity of the pandemic response in Kerala State, India. Economia Politica 39: 271-301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40888-021-00249-1
    12. Raman S, Harries M, Nathawad R, Kyeremateng R, Seth R, Lonne B (2020) Where do we go from here? A child rights-based response to COVID-19. BMJ paediatrics open 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1136%2Fbmjpo-2020-000714
    13. Singh SS (2022) Training community health workers for the COVID-19 response, India. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 100(2): 108.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2023 Multidisciplinary Reviews

How to cite

Behanan, A., Krishnan, A., Bargale Sushant Sukumar, Shashirekha H K, Tare, H., Gadgil, N., & Kulkarni, A. (2023). Nutritional status of under5 children during COVID-19: insights from anganwadi workers of Kerala, India. Multidisciplinary Reviews, (| Accepted Articles). Retrieved from https://malque.pub/ojs/index.php/mr/article/view/1139
  • Article viewed - 39