Effect of nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions with participatory videos and women’s group meetings on maternal and child nutritional outcomes in rural Odisha, India (UPAVAN trial): a four-arm, observer-blind, cluster-randomised controlled trial
This publication assesses the impact of nutrition-sensitive agricultural video as an educational tool to improve nutritional outcomes among women and children in rural india. The approach described here shares programmatic similarities to illuminAid’s video intervention, particularly in nutrition and agriculture contexts.
illuminAid claims no authorship of this publication and takes no ownership over the subject of this study’s research. Please see citation below.
Summary
The detrimental impact of undernutrition on both women and children is well-established, leading to negative pregnancy outcomes, hindered physical and cognitive growth in children, and heightened risks of morbidity and mortality. A concerning statistic reveals that approximately 21% of children in India suffer from wasting, and nearly a quarter of women are underweight. This dire situation is compounded by the fact that a significant portion of the Indian population, exceeding fifty percent, relies on subsistence farming for their livelihoods. Given these circumstances, there is a critical need to develop novel strategies that seamlessly incorporate nutrition goals into agricultural initiatives. This emerging paradigm, known as nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA), aims to address the nutritional needs of communities while engaging in agricultural activities. However, for these efforts to be effective, robust evidence of their impact is indispensable. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the effects of integrating nutrition objectives into agricultural programs in India, shedding light on the potential of NSA interventions to combat the pervasive issues of undernutrition among women and children.
The study’s goal was to evaluate the impact of nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions, complemented by participatory videos and women's group meetings, on maternal and child nutritional outcomes in rural Odisha, India. The authors designed a trial with four distinct arms involving different combinations of interventions and controls. The interventions consisted of nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices that aimed to improve the availability and consumption of diverse and nutrient-rich foods. These interventions were delivered through participatory videos and women's group meetings, designed to engage and educate the local community.
Interpretation of Results
"Women's groups using combinations of NSA videos, nutrition-specific videos, and PLA cycle meetings improved maternal and child diet quality in rural Odisha, India. These components have been implemented separately in several low-income settings; effects could be increased by scaling up together."Citation
Kadiyala et al, 2021. “Effect of nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions with participatory videos and women’s group meetings on maternal and child nutritional outcomes in rural Odisha, India (UPAVAN trial): a four-arm, observer-blind, cluster-randomized controlled trial”, The Lancet, Planetary Health, March 31, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00001-2
Images from a similar 2012 illuminAid project with Digital Green which focused on producing community-led video to share sustainable agricultural techniques with rural farmers in Hyderabad, India.