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Stunting, wasting, and underweight are key indicators for measuring malnutrition among children under 5 years old, reflecting chronic and acute deficiencies in nutrition and health. Stunting indicates impaired growth and development due to prolonged nutritional deprivation and repeated infections, leading to a low height-for-age ratio. Wasting reflects acute malnutrition, characterized by a low weight-for-height ratio, often caused by insufficient food intake or illness. Underweight is a composite measure, indicating low weight-for-age, encompassing chronic and acute malnutrition. These conditions can have severe long-term consequences on physical and cognitive development, making them key targets in global health and nutrition programs.
According to the NFHS-5 report, Meghalaya (46.5%) recorded the highest prevalence of stunting. Bihar followed closely with 42.9% stunting rates. In contrast, Puducherry reported the lowest stunting rate at 20%, followed by Sikkim at 22.3%. In economically developed states, wasting, which is a measure of acute malnutrition based on weight-for-height, shows a fascinating pattern. Maharashtra and Gujarat, despite their relative prosperity, reported wasting rates of 25.6% and 25.1%, respectively. The northeastern states showed more promising results in this category. For instance, Mizoram recorded 9.8% and Manipur 9.9% wasting rates. Chandigarh achieved the lowest wasting prevalence at 8.4%. The underweight indicator, which combines chronic and acute malnutrition aspects through weight-for-age measurements, presents another concerning picture. Bihar reported the highest underweight prevalence at 41%, followed closely by Gujarat at 39.7% and Jharkhand at 39.4%. With an underweight prevalence of less than 16% each, Mizoram, Manipur, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh outperformed the other Indian states. A noteworthy observation is Kerala’s consistent performance across all three indicators. This state achieved relatively lower rates, with 23.4% stunting, 15.8% wasting, and 19.7% underweight prevalence. This success can be attributed to Kerala’s historical emphasis on social development, healthcare accessibility, and educational attainment, even though it does not rank among India’s wealthiest states. This suggests that targeted social policies and healthcare interventions can significantly impact child nutrition outcomes regardless of economic status. Overall, this insight highlighted a significant trend where states with similar geographical and cultural characteristics often show comparable malnutrition patterns. For instance, the northeastern states have generally maintained better-wasting rates than the national average, while states in the Hindi heartland have consistently shown higher stunting rates. This pattern indicates that regional factors, including dietary habits, cultural practices, and healthcare accessibility, have been crucial in determining nutritional outcomes.
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