Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika
  • Year: 2024
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue: 3and4

Assessment of food consumption pattern of rural school children of Arwal district in Bihar

  • Author:
  • Ankit Pal1,*, Akanksha Singh2, Awadhesh Dixit1, K.R. Ananda1, Sanjay Kumar Gupta3, Sunil Kumar4
  • Total Page Count: 4
  • Page Number: 333 to 336

1Agricultural Extension, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, India

2Integral Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Integral University, Lucknow-226 026, Uttar Pradesh, India

3Department of Agricultural Extension, Amar Singh College, Lakhaoti-203 407, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India

4Agriculture Extension, Shri Siddhagiri Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kaneri-416 234, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India

*Corresponding Author: Ankit Pal, Agricultural Extension, ICAR Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, India, Email: ankitpal988968@gmail.com

Online published on 2 July, 2025.

Abstract

The dietary and nutrition transition in rural areas, influenced by improved agricultural practices and food processing techniques, has led to imbalanced nutrient intake among children, impacting health profiles. This study explores the changing dietary patterns among rural school children in Arwal district, Bihar. The research aims to observe the consumption of various food items and their timely practices within households.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire among 154 rural school children which is randomly selected in Arwal district.

Results indicate that the majority of participants (55.19%) belong to the 18-21 age group. Timely consumption of green vegetables, tea and coffee is prevalent among participants. However, variations exist in the consumption of cereals, dal, rice and other food items. The study reveals that dietary diversity among rural school children is generally low, with 48.70% falling within the 4-5 DDS range.

Keywords

Consumption pattern, Dietary diversity, Rural children