Reproductive Health of Women and its Impact on the Nutritional Status of Preschool Children in Manipur

This study was conducted among rural women in Manipur to determine the relationship between reproductive health of mother and nutritional status of children. A total of 250 married women and 250 preschool children of selected mothers were randomly chosen from two districts of Manipur. Both quantitative and qualitative data on reproductive health were generated through interview method and a focused group discussion. Anthropometric measurement was used to assess the nutritional status of preschool children. It was found that 72% had experienced reproductive health problem. More than fifty per cent of the respondent’s children were malnourished. The prevalence of mild, moderate and severe malnutrition was 41.6%, 13.2% and 0.8%, respectively. Further analysis revealed association between reproductive morbidity of mothers and malnutrition of children. Children born to mothers with better reproductive health fared better in the nutritional status than children born to mothers with poor reproductive health. The study felt the need to empower women on nutritional education and reproductive health care.