Impact of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology program in Andhra Pradesh, India, on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development

IntroductionTo date, most food-based nutrition interventions have not considered food production practices, particularly the use of synthetic chemicals. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a multi-component food-based nutrition intervention involving homestead food production, nutrition counselling, cooking demonstrations, and crop planning exercises, and employing agroecological production practices (herein nutrition-sensitive agroecology program), on dietary diversity, nutritional status, and child development in Andhra Pradesh, India. MethodsA cross-sectional assessment was conducted in 2021-2022 of 50 intervention villages where the nutrition-sensitive agroecology program had been implemented since 2018 and 79 control villages where only the agroecology program had been implemented. Data on self-reported dietary intake, caregiver-reported early child development, anthropometric measurements, and hemoglobin concentrations were collected using standardized procedures by trained Nutrition Farming Fellows, who were also responsible for implementing the program. ResultsA sample of 3,511 households (1,121 intervention and 2,390 control) participated in the survey. Dietary diversity scores (DDS) among women and men were mean (SD) 6.53 ({+/-}1.62) and 6.16 ({+/-}1.65), respectively, in intervention villages and 5.81 ({+/-}1.58) and 5.39 ({+/-}1.61), respectively, in control villages (p<0.01). DDS among children 6-24 months of age in intervention and control villages was 2.99 ({+/-}1.52) and 2.73 ({+/-}1.62), respectively (p<0.01). Children <2 years of age were less likely to be anemic in intervention versus control villages (59% versus 69%, p<0.01). Children 18-35 months age in intervention villages had higher child development scores than children in control villages (all p<0.05). ConclusionNutrition-sensitive agroecological programs may be effective in improving diets, nutrition, and child development in rural India.