Fact Sheet: Nutrition and Health of Urban Poor Women in INDIA: Key findings from the Third National Family Health Survey: 2005-06
November, 2011
Undernutrition continues to plague majority of women in India and inturn adversely affects their future and that of their children. A gravely undernourished mother almost inevitably gives birth to a low birth weight baby. When poor nutrition starts in utero it extends throughout the life cycle, particularly in girls and women. Undernutrition reduces physical and functional capacity and increases morbidity and mortality risk. Several interrelated factors lead to this multifaceted problem. Important among these include insufficient food consumption owing to poverty, poor dietary and cooking practices, apathy/poor access in availing existing nutrition and health services, social elements such as early marriage, repeated pregnancies, household violence and gender bias within the family. Recurrent infections due to poor food handling and sub-optimal environmental hygiene and sanitary conditions precipitate the problem furthe
One-quarter of India’s urban population lives in poverty, in slums and squatter settlements. Urban poor have limited access to nutrition and health services. Slums which are not listed in official slum lists are even more deprived. To support their families, most slum women are involved in strenuous work, majorly in unorganized sector, which they continue during pregnancy and soon after delivery. This heightens the undernutrition risk in them.
This fact sheet presents nutrition and health and urban poor women 15-49 years in India compared to their non-poor counterparts, rural average and national average, based on analysis of the third analysis of the Third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) conducted in 2005-06. NFHS-3 used a wealth index based on 33 assets and household characteristics to classify population into different economic groups. For developing this fact sheet, NFHS-3 data for urban sample was disaggregated into wealth index quartiles. The bottom quartile was taken as representative of the urban poor. The other three quartiles were clubbed and considered urban non-poor.
Fact Sheet: Nutrition and Health of Urban Poor Children in INDIA: Key findings from the Third National Family Health Survey: 2005-06
November, 2011
This fact sheet presents child nutrition status, infant and young child feeding practices and child health indicators of urban poor children in India compared with other population groups based on analysis of the third analysis of the Third National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) conducted in 2005-06. NFHS-3 used a wealth index based on 33 assets and household characteristics to classify population into different economic groups. For developing this fact sheet, NFHS-3 data for urban sample was disaggregated into wealth index quartiles. The bottom quartile was taken as representative of the urban poor. The other three quartiles were clubbed and considered urban non-poor
One-quarter of urban population of India lives in poverty conditions, according to recent estimates of Planning Commission of India. The health and nutrition status of urban poor is considerably worse off than the non-poor in urban areas. Children born in urban poor communities get a disadvantaged start due to maternal undernutrition. Poor household feeding and care practices, overcrowded unhygienic living conditions and poor access to basic services aggravate the problem of undernutrition in these children. Undernutrition leads to increased morbidity, mortality and impaired physical growth and mental development in children.
Presentation on “Improving Primary Newborn Care in Urban Slums” during the National Convention for Compiling Innovations for Improving Primary Newborn Care, Dec 3-4, 2010 at Ahmedabad
Community Partnerships to
Address Health Inequities in
Urban Areas
Faces of Urban Health, New York
October 26, 2010
Harlem Community Academic Partnerships
Siddharth Agarwal
Urban Health Resource Centre (UHRC), New Delhi
