Influence of Childcare Practices on Nutritional Status of Children in India: An Analysis of National Family Health Survey-4

Abstract

Appropriate childcare practices (CCPs) play a crucial role in achieving optimal health outcomes in early childhood as well as in later life. However, poor childcare practices can lead to stunted growth, immune dysfunction, delayed mental development and significantly increased risk of infectious diseases. In countries like India, the problems of undernutrition are always considered in terms of household food security without recognizing the importance of CCPs, which play a vital role in influencing the nutritional status of children. Therefore, using data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), this study assesses the effect of CCP on the nutritional status of children aged 6-36 months in India. The principal component analysis was used to create CCP index and generalized linear model was used to assess the association of nutritional indices with CCPs. The results showed a positive association between CCPs and child nutritional indices such as height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ), weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) and weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), after controlling for potential confounding factors. Therefore, promoting CCPs that not only include feeding practices but also health services like immunization could improve child health and nutrition in India.