Background Indigenous people globally experience poor nutrition outcomes, with women facing the greater burden. Munda, a predominant tribe in Jharkhand, India, live in a biodiverse food environment but yet have high levels of malnutrition. Objectives To assess diets and the nutritional status of Munda tribal women and explore associations with their Indigenous food consumption, dietary diversity, and socioeconomic and demographic profiles. Methods A cross-sectional study with a longitudinal component to capture seasonal dietary intake was conducted in 11 villages of the Khunti district, Jharkhand. Household surveys and FFQs, supplemented with 2-d 24-h dietary recall and anthropometric assessments on 1 randomly selected woman per household were conducted. Results Limited access to diverse foods from a natural food environment (Food Accessed Diversity Index score of 0.3 ± 0.3) was observed. More than 90% women in both seasons had usual nutrient intakes below the estimated average requirements for all nutrients except protein and vitamin C; 35.5% of women were underweight. The mean Minimum Dietary Diversity Score among women (MDDS) was low [2.6 ± 0.6 in wet monsoon; 3 ± 0.7 in winters (acceptable ≥5)]. Higher MDDS contributed to higher usual nutrient intakes (P <0.001). Indigenous food intakes in both seasons (wet monsoon and winter) were low, e.g. Indigenous green leafy vegetables [10.5 and 27.8% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI), respectively], other vegetables (5.2% and 7.8% of RDI, respectively), and fruits (5.8 and 22.8% of RDI, respectively). Despite low intakes, the Indigenous food consumption score was positively associated with usual intake of vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin C, pyridoxine, and calcium (P < 0.05) in the wet monsoon and thiamine, riboflavin, and zinc (P < 0.001) in winters. After adjusting for covariates, Indigenous food consumption was associated with a higher usual intake of vitamin A (P  < 0.001) in the wet monsoon season. Conclusion Contextual food-based interventions promoting Indigenous foods and increasing dietary diversity have the potential to address malnutrition in Munda women.

Head injuries sustained in the crash are the main cause of death and disability. Such deaths and disabilities can be prevented by consistent and correct wearing of a quality helmet. A baseline study was conducted to understand the pattern of helmet use in all 7 administrative divisional headquarters of state of Rajasthan in 2015. Among 1,17,553 two wheelers observed, almost two-fifth drivers (39.4%) wore helmet correctly, whereas, less than three-fifth (58.7%) did not. Almost equal percentage of male (58.6%) and female (58.9%) did not wear helmet at all. As compared to drivers, two-wheeler passengers were observed lower in using helmet correctly (11.6%). Even though correct helmet use during the crash reduces the severity of head and neck injury, observed helmet use in Rajasthan was low. Two-pronged strategy needs to be used by Government – First, Increased provision for awareness generation among community for helmet use by drivers and passengers through print media, electronic media, folk media, and social media. Second there must be provision of enforcement of the road traffic law by traffic police of Rajasthan. It would be required that the Government organizations, Corporate groups, and NGOs should come together and start helmet use in mission mode.

Background Many indigenous communities reside in biodiverse environments replete with natural food sources but show ​poor access and utilization. Methods To understand the links between indigenous food access, dietary intakes, and biomarkers, we conducted a cross-sectional study among women of the Santhal Community (n = 211) from 17 villages in the Godda district of Jharkhand, India. Survey methods included household surveys, dietary intake assessment (24 HDR) and micronutrient and inflammatory biomarkers' estimation. Results The diversity in access to foods from different natural sources expressed as Food access diversity index was low. This led to poor consumption and thus a low Minimum Dietary Diversity. The mean nutrient intake was less than the estimated average requirement for all nutrients. Women with higher dietary diversity scores had higher nutrient intakes. Thiamine and calcium intakes were significantly higher in women consuming indigenous foods than non-consumers. One-fourth of the women had elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers. The prevalence of iron deficiency was approximately 70%. Vitamin A insufficiency (measured as retinol-binding protein) was observed in around 33.6% women, while 28.4% were deficient. Household access to natural food sources was associated with specific biomarkers. The access to kitchen garden (baari) was positively associated with retinol-binding protein levels and negatively with inflammatory biomarkers, while access to ponds was positively associated with ferritin levels. Conclusion The findings highlight the role of access to diverse natural foods resources, including indigenous foods, for improving nutrition security in indigenous communities. Nutrition and health programs promoting indigenous food sources should include the assessment of biomarkers for effective monitoring and surveillance.

Background: Maternal and infant mortality remains one of the concerns in India, even in high-performing states like Telangana. However, the urban–rural divide in the maternal and child health service provided and utilisation by the population is more concerning. The Government of India launched schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) to improve institutional delivery and reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure of users seeking service at public institutions and private institutions facilities. This study aims to study the utilisation of one such service, that is, JSSK, and compare it in urban and rural areas of Telangana state. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Warangal and Ranga Reddy districts in the state of Telangana with an interview schedule administered to mothers who had at least one child at the time of the interview and were beneficiaries of JSY and JSSK from the previous delivery. A multistage cluster random sampling was used to select the study area, and a total of 408 respondents were chosen to participate in the study. Results: The study found that most facility characteristics related to maternal and child health, JSSK service availability and JSSK service satisfaction and awareness were significantly different across the urban and rural areas. Conclusion: The study found that crucial factors affecting respondents’ services utilisation differed across urban and rural areas. This study shows there is still a margin of improvement in services provided under the JSY and JSSK, especially in service availability and awareness of the population on their entitlements under these schemes.

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