Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis

Background: Healthy diets can help reduce undernutrition, morbidity, and mortality. However, evidence on the accessibility and affordability of recommended diets is limited, particularly in poor-resource settings including India. Objectives: This study examined: 1) the minimum cost of different type...

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Autores principales: Kachwaha, Shivani, Nguyen, Phuong Hong, DeFreese, Michelle, Avula, Rasmi, Cyriac, Shruthi, Girard, Amy, Menon, Purnima
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: American Society for Nutrition 2020
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142438
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author Kachwaha, Shivani
Nguyen, Phuong Hong
DeFreese, Michelle
Avula, Rasmi
Cyriac, Shruthi
Girard, Amy
Menon, Purnima
author_browse Avula, Rasmi
Cyriac, Shruthi
DeFreese, Michelle
Girard, Amy
Kachwaha, Shivani
Menon, Purnima
Nguyen, Phuong Hong
author_facet Kachwaha, Shivani
Nguyen, Phuong Hong
DeFreese, Michelle
Avula, Rasmi
Cyriac, Shruthi
Girard, Amy
Menon, Purnima
author_sort Kachwaha, Shivani
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Background: Healthy diets can help reduce undernutrition, morbidity, and mortality. However, evidence on the accessibility and affordability of recommended diets is limited, particularly in poor-resource settings including India. Objectives: This study examined: 1) the minimum cost of different types of household diets; 2) how economic constraints can prevent households from accessing a nutritious diet; and 3) how home production and social protection can improve access to nutritious diets. Methods: We conducted 24 market and 125 household surveys in Uttar Pradesh, India, to obtain food prices and consumption patterns. Cost of Diet, a linear programming software, was used to assess the minimum cost of different diets, estimate affordability of nutritious diets, and model scenarios of home production and social protection interventions to improve affordability. Results: The minimum-cost nutritious diet that met all recommended nutrient requirements [904 US dollars (US$)/y] was over twice as expensive as the diet that only met energy requirements (US$393/y). The nutritious diet was unaffordable for 75% of households given current income levels, consumption patterns, and food prices. Household income and dietary preferences, rather than food availability, were the key barriers to obtain nutritious diets. Home production had potential to reduce the cost of nutritious diets by 35%, subsidized grains by 19%, and supplementary food by 10%. The poorest households could only afford recommended nutritious diets with access to multiple interventions. Conclusions: Practical, habitual, diet-related behavior change communication to middle- and high-income households and additional social protection for poorer households could enable individuals to achieve optimal nutrient intakes.
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spelling CGSpace1424382025-04-03T21:29:22Z Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis Kachwaha, Shivani Nguyen, Phuong Hong DeFreese, Michelle Avula, Rasmi Cyriac, Shruthi Girard, Amy Menon, Purnima economic viability production households social protection nutrition feasibility studies diet household consumption Background: Healthy diets can help reduce undernutrition, morbidity, and mortality. However, evidence on the accessibility and affordability of recommended diets is limited, particularly in poor-resource settings including India. Objectives: This study examined: 1) the minimum cost of different types of household diets; 2) how economic constraints can prevent households from accessing a nutritious diet; and 3) how home production and social protection can improve access to nutritious diets. Methods: We conducted 24 market and 125 household surveys in Uttar Pradesh, India, to obtain food prices and consumption patterns. Cost of Diet, a linear programming software, was used to assess the minimum cost of different diets, estimate affordability of nutritious diets, and model scenarios of home production and social protection interventions to improve affordability. Results: The minimum-cost nutritious diet that met all recommended nutrient requirements [904 US dollars (US$)/y] was over twice as expensive as the diet that only met energy requirements (US$393/y). The nutritious diet was unaffordable for 75% of households given current income levels, consumption patterns, and food prices. Household income and dietary preferences, rather than food availability, were the key barriers to obtain nutritious diets. Home production had potential to reduce the cost of nutritious diets by 35%, subsidized grains by 19%, and supplementary food by 10%. The poorest households could only afford recommended nutritious diets with access to multiple interventions. Conclusions: Practical, habitual, diet-related behavior change communication to middle- and high-income households and additional social protection for poorer households could enable individuals to achieve optimal nutrient intakes. 2020-12-01 2024-05-22T12:10:30Z 2024-05-22T12:10:30Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142438 en https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz034.OR21-05-19 Open Access American Society for Nutrition Kachwaha, Shivani; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; DeFreese, Michelle; Avula, Rasmi; Cyriac, Shruthi; Girard, Amy; and Menon, Purnima. 2020. Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis. Current Developments in Nutrition 4(12): nzaa169. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa169
spellingShingle economic viability
production
households
social protection
nutrition
feasibility studies
diet
household consumption
Kachwaha, Shivani
Nguyen, Phuong Hong
DeFreese, Michelle
Avula, Rasmi
Cyriac, Shruthi
Girard, Amy
Menon, Purnima
Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis
title Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis
title_full Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis
title_fullStr Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis
title_short Assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in Uttar Pradesh, India: Findings from a “cost of the diet” analysis
title_sort assessing the economic feasibility of assuring nutritionally adequate diets for vulnerable populations in uttar pradesh india findings from a cost of the diet analysis
topic economic viability
production
households
social protection
nutrition
feasibility studies
diet
household consumption
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/142438
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