Determinants of Stunting and Undernutrition Among Tribal Children Aged 6–59 Months in Central Indian Forested Districts
Author(s): Varsha Deshpande Kulkarni, Naresh Kumar Sahu, Padmini Tripathy
Affiliation: Department of Public Health & Epidemiology, Kalahandi Medical College & Hospital, Bhawanipatna, Odisha, India, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Sambalpur University College, Sambalpur, Odisha, India
Page No: 10-13-
Volume issue & Publishing Year: Volume 3, Issue 3, 2026/03/04
Journal: International Journal of Modern Engineering and Management | IJMEM
ISSN NO: 3048-8230
DOI:
Abstract:
Child stunting—defined as height-for-age Z-score below −2 standard deviations from the WHO Child Growth Standards median—remains the most prevalent form of childhood malnutrition globally and the leading cause of irreversible cognitive impairment and reduced adult human capital. India carries the largest absolute burden of stunted children globally, with tribal children in forested districts of central India consistently exhibiting stunting prevalence exceeding 50–60%. This cross-sectional multilevel study investigates determinants of stunting among 1,847 tribal children aged 6–59 months in 24 Scheduled Tribe-majority blocks across six districts of central India. Using multilevel logistic regression, the study finds an overall stunting prevalence of 58.3% (95% CI: 56.0–60.6%), with severe stunting in 24.7%. Exclusive breastfeeding (aOR: 0.41, p<0.001), maternal height (aOR per cm: 0.94, p<0.001), dietary diversity (aOR per unit: 0.78, p<0.01), improved sanitation (aOR: 0.61, p<0.01), and maternal education beyond primary school (aOR: 0.53, p<0.001) are the strongest independent protective predictors. The intra-community correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.187 confirms substantial community-level clustering of stunting risk.
Keywords:
stunting, undernutrition, tribal children, scheduled tribes, multilevel analysis, determinants, India, exclusive breastfeeding, dietary diversity, WASH, maternal education, Anganwadi, NFHS, height-for-age, malnutrition
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