Socio cultural determinants of dietary and health behaviours among women of reproductive age in rural India

A qualitative study was conducted to understand the sociocultural dynamics influencing the food security of women of reproductive age in Tantichira, a rural tribal village of Odisha, India—a representation of developing countries. Eastern societies worldwide were found to have food-related practices deeply embedded in their familial, cultural, and traditional norms, which shaped the way in which a woman’s or a child’s diet was created or maintained. Six focus group discussions ( n = 36) with key stakeholder groups, including women of reproductive age, grandmothers, and men of the household, and 5 key informant interviews with elders and healthcare providers, investigated the food security conditions from past to present, the inhibiting and enabling factors, the sociocultural impact on food, and the social network effect on food. The findings highlighted that the grandmothers were the key custodians of traditional knowledge and dietary practices, and they guided women of reproductive age in food choices and caregiving. The study also found that the women were deeply embedded in the cultural and traditional values and practices, such as family unity, shared responsibility, and yajna, a concept promoted in collective wellbeing, which shape the way food security was attained. However, reliance on external, often one-size-fits-all, government interventions has led to unintended consequences. There was a marked increase in the consumption of foreign diets and a decline in traditional ecological knowledge, especially among younger generations, leading to the disempowerment of local communities regarding their indigenous food and food practices. The study underscored the need for context-sensitive, culturally inclusive policies that respected and promoted local traditions and the local indigenous food system, and improved villagers’ self-reliance. Strengthening traditional networks and valuing local knowledge could help in fostering sustainable food security tailored to the social and cultural fabrics of rural communities.