Poor and Pregnant in New Delhi, India

262 Pages·2006·7.961 MB·English

by  Helen Vallianatos

Poor and Pregnant
in New Delhi, India
by
Helen Vallianatos
First published 2006 by O!tal Institute Press
Published 2016 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint ift he Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 2006 Helen Vallianatos.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereaf-
ter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are
used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Canadian Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vallianatos, Helen
Poor and pregnant in New Delhi, India I by Helen Vallianatos.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Pregnancy--India--New Delhi--Nutritional aspects. 2. Poor women--Nutrition
--Social aspects--India New Delhi. I. Title.
RG559.V34 2006 362.198'242095456 C2006-901283-0
Graphic Design: Murray Pearson
Photographs: Helen Vallianatos
Copyeditor/Ty pesetter: Moira Calder
ISBN 13: 978-1-59874-293-0 (pbk)
For mom and dad, Eleftheria £sf John Vallianatos.
Thank you.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements v
Preface ix
1 Food, Gender, and Power 1
2 The Setting: Living in Poverty 21
3 The Research Process: Participants and Methods 39
4 The Political Economy of Health and Hunger in India 55
5 Eating for Two? Perspectives on Food Consumption During
Pregnancy 85
6 The Social Contexts for Pregnant Womens Nutritional
Landscapes 115
7 Health Assessment: Numbers and Experiences 153
8 Relationships between Food, Power, and Gender 189
Appendix A: Glossary 203
Appendix B: Food-Based Dietary Guidelines 205
Appendix C: Food Categorization in Chanda Nagar 207
References 211
Index 241

Figures, Tables, and Graphs
Figures Page
2.1 Map of India 22
2.2 Chanda Nagar community 27
2.3 Hand pump facilities 28
2.4 Water truck 29
2.5 Monsoon flooding 30
2.6 Garbage area 33
3.1 State of origin of study participants 42
4.1 Organization of health services in India 57
4.2 Summary of PDS in India 63
4.3 Vegetable vendor at Chanda Nagar market 78
Table Page
3.1 Family size and composition 43
3.2 Education levels of study participants 44
3.3 Ownership of material goods 45
4.1 Indicators used to assess national health progress 58
4.2 Perceptions of food quality at fair price shops 77
4.3 Price comparison of food staples 81
5.1 Energy and dietary guidelines 87
5.2 Food-based dietary guidelines 90
5.3 Typical daily diet of Chanda Nagar women 103
viii
5.4 Mean energy and nutrient intakes of Chanda Nagar women 103
5.5 Percent of women meeting dietary allowances 104
5.6 Summary of energy and protein intakes from previous studies 105
5.7 Average daily food consumption of Chanda Nagar women 109
5.8 Summary of food intakes from previous studies 111
6.1 Ayurvedic relationship between elements and humors 118
6.2 “Hot” and “cold” food categories based on Ayurvedic medicine 118
6.3 Food classification as reported in previous studies 119
6.4 Food classification by Chanda Nagar women 121
6.5 Craving experiences of Chanda Nagar women 126
6.6 Prevalence of aversions and cravings 129
6.7 Aversion experiences of Chanda Nagar women 130
6.8 Womens autonomy in choosing foods for household
consumption 139
6.9 Food shopping responsibilities 140
6.10 Reasons given to explain miscarriage 142
6.11 Behaviors women should do/avoid while pregnant 145
7.1 Pregnancy weight gain recommendations 159
7.2 Maternal nutritional assessment using MUAC and weight 167
7.3 Comparison of 1st trimester BMI with international
and other standards 169
Graphs Page
4.1 Seasonal variation in availability and prices of dietary staples 79
4.2 Seasonal price fluctuations in produce 80
6.1 Food cravings and aversions 136
6.2 Association of NVP with pregnancyo utcome 138
7.1 Average monthly weight change 168
7.2 Average weight-for-height as a percentage of standard weight 170
7.3 Average monthly MUAC values 170
7.4 Body fat estimates from upper arm measurements 172
Acknowledgements
First of all, Fd like to thank all the women who graciously agreed to par­
ticipate in this study. This work could not have been completed with
the support of a number of people including Dr. Sunil Mehra, Dr.
P.K. Goswami, Dr. (Col.) B. Bhardwaj, and all the staff at MAMTA, Health
Institute for Mother and Child, Ms. Pinky Sharma, Ms. Veena Massey, Mr.
Ravi Dahiya, Mr. Umar Kumar, Dr. John R. Lukács, Dr. Sunil Khanna, Dr.
Theresa O’Nell, Dr. Anita Weiss, Dr. Geraldine Moreno-Black, and Dr.
Robert J. Losey.
Financial support for this research was provided by a National Science
Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant (award # BCS-0003964), an
International Trade 6c Development Fellowship through the Sasakawa
Foundation, two research grants by the Center for the Study of Women in
Society and a Stephen L. Wasby Dissertation Grant from the Graduate
School, University of Oregon.