Association of Socio-economic and Media Exposure on Inequality of Micronutrients Intake among Children in Odisha: A District Level Analysis from NFHS-5 (2019-21)

Abstract

Micronutrient deficiency is a major contributor to childhood morbidity and mortality in low and middleincome countries, where about 149 million children are affected by stunting and 45 million are wasted and almost half of the deaths are linked to undernutrition. Many children under age five years suffer from micronutrient deficiencies and more than one-third of them suffer from anemia. Therefore, sufficient intake of micronutrients is crucial for maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases. Thus, the objective of the paper is to understand the contribution of socio-economic and the role of media in the inequality of micronutrient intake among children in Odisha. The study used the National Family Health Survey-5, 2019-21 (NFHS-5) from a sample of 2322 children of 6 to 23 months in Odisha. Statistical techniques such as bivariate and concentration index was used and STATA 17 was used for analyzing the data. Results found that overall, 74 and 29% of children aged 6 to 23 months were consuming food rich in vitamin A and iron. Among the districts, Ragayada and Debagrah districts show the highest and lowest intake of vitamin A, while in terms of iron-rich food, Ragayada and Cuttack show the highest and lowest intake of micronutrients. Socio-economic and demographic factors such as the mother’s education, age of the children, social category, religion and wealth index show inequality of micronutrient intake. Media exposure also contributes in inequality of micronutrient intake among children. The study concludes that there is an urgent need to focus on the disproportionate concentration by socio-economic inequality in micronutrient intake to reduce the gap in health outcomes. On the other hand, media can act as a bridge to minimize the inequality of micronutrient-rich food intake for behavioral change among the community and adopt healthy food choices.