Dietary diversity and its association with undernutrition and anemia among reproductive-age women in the Bonda PVTG of Odisha, India

Undernutrition and anemia are the major health concerns among tribal women. Dietary diversity is a proxy indicator of micronutrient adequacy and plays a key role in preventing micronutrient deficiency and poor health outcomes. This study aimed to assess dietary diversity among Bonda women of reproductive age, explore its sociodemographic determinants and examine its association with undernutrition and anemia. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 180 women. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and hemoglobin levels were collected using standardized procedures. Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was assessed using FAO’s Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W). The mean dietary diversity score was 4.58 ± 1.49. More than half of the women (57.2%) exhibited a low dietary diversity (MDD-W < 5), 47.1% were undernourished, and 61.6% were anemic. Lower educational status, low family income, and alcohol consumption were significantly associated with the lower dietary diversity ( p < 0.05). Women with low dietary diversity had significantly higher odds of undernutrition (aOR: 7.93, 95% CI: 3.90 − 16.15, p < 0.001) and anemia (aOR: 2.45, 95% CI: 1.29–4.63, p = 0.006) after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. This study found that low dietary diversity is significantly associated with undernutrition and anemia among women of reproductive age in Bondo PVTG. Lower education, household income, and alcohol consumption were important factors associated with low dietary diversity. Context-specific interventions promoting dietary diversity and healthy eating may help improve nutritional outcomes among women of PVTGs.