MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN IN KALYANA KARNATAKA REGION OF KARNATAKA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NFHS-4 AND 5 DATA

Child malnutrition refers to a child's insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals for their healthy development throughout early childhood. However, in India, malnutrition is a significant public health issue due to inadequate nutrition food, poor breastfeeding practices, delayed introduction of complementary foods, and insufficient protein in the diet. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) reported in 2006 that inadequate nutrition, unsanitary environments, and lack of hygiene standards contribute to malnutrition children. The National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-20) found that there was no substantial improvement in the nutritional condition of children aged 0 to 5. In India 35.5 % of children were reported as stunted, 19.5% were wasted, and 32.1% were underweight. Karnataka is an average-performing state in terms of nutritional status of children, with malnutrition levels being close to the national average. However, malnutrition is a challenging task for many districts in Karnataka, particularly in Koppal, Yadgiri, and Raichur. In view of this present study, it aims to understand the nutrition status among 0-5-year children in Kalyana Karnataka region and know the cumulative change in nutrition status among these children by districts. The data collected from the National Family Health Survey NFHS-4 (2014-2015) and NFHS-5 (2019-20) was used for the analysis. The findings could help policy-making bodies to improve child malnutrition in the Kalyana Karnataka region which helps to take necessary steps to reduce malnourished children in the upcoming days. The study examines the nutritional status of malnourished children aged 0-5 in Kalyana Karnataka using NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 data. The study found that child malnutrition in Karnataka was relatively improved compared to the NFHS-4 survey between 2014-2015 and 2019-20. The stunted children showed a slight decline of 0.8 points, while wasted children showed a decrease of about 6.6 points. Underweight children showed a moderate decrease of 2.3 points. Although the study found that most of the districts in Kalyana Karnataka showed improvements in their nutritional status compared to the previous survey. However, some districts, such as Yadgiri and Raichur, reported significant progress in reducing child wasting. Districts like Bidar and Yadgiri also showed modest improvements. Districts like Kalaburagi and Ballari experienced the largest reduction in the prevalence of underweight children, while districts like Koppal, and Bidar reported moderate declines. Raichur had the smallest decrease of - 0.5%, indicating that efforts to improve the nutritional status in this district might need to be further strengthened. There has been a decrease in child malnutrition in Karnataka, but few districts have not improved. To reduce child malnutrition, the respective district administration needs to focus on improving it. Breastfeeding and complementary food practices are crucial for infant growth and development, and if a child does not receive sufficient feeding and complementary food between ages 0 and 5, it can lead to poor mortality. Therefore, mothers should be encouraged and educated to provide early breastfeeding and complementary food to improve nutritional status and reduce the risk of child mortality. Keywords: Child Malnutrition, Kalyana Karnataka, NFHS,