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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Kalyani Raghunathan

Kalyani Raghunathan is Research Fellow in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit, based in New Delhi, India. Her research lies at the intersection of agriculture, gender, social protection, and public health and nutrition, with a specific focus on South Asia and Africa. 

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IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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experts

Nutrition, Diets, and Health

Rasmi Avula

Research Fellow

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Bio

Rasmi Avula is a Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. Her research focuses on understanding processes and determinants that influence program implementation and their impact on nutrition. As part of a large portfolio of work under POSHAN (Partnerships and Opportunities to Strengthen and Harmonize Actions for Nutrition in India), Rasmi works on synthesizing and generating evidence to inform policy and programmatic decisions aimed at improving maternal and child nutrition. Rasmi has a master’s in Nutrition from South Carolina State University, Columbia, and a PhD in Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.

Publications

Publications

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Data Paper

Status of nutrition in Nepal: Trends in outcomes, determinants and coverage of interventions between 2016 and 2022

2024
Kapoor, Rati; Gupta, Monali; Gune, Soyra; Christopher, Anita; Nguyen, Phuong; Neupane, Sumanta; Thapa, Lila Bikram; Ghale, Yamuna; Ratanapruck, Prista; Rana, Pooja Pandey
…more Cunningham, Kenda; Saville, Naomi; Avula, Rasmi
Details

Status of nutrition in Nepal: Trends in outcomes, determinants and coverage of interventions between 2016 and 2022

This Country Profile describes the trends in key nutrition outcomes, their determinants, and coverage of nutrition and health interventions during critical life stages for women and children in Nepal at the national and province level. The findings are based on the 2016 and 2022 data from Nepal’s Demographic and Health Surveys. Bar graphs were used to visualize national trends, maps and color-coded dashboards illustrate province-level trends. The purpose of the profile is to be an easily interpretable reference for nutrition stakeholders in Nepal.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kapoor, Rati; Gupta, Monali; Gune, Soyra; Christopher, Anita; Nguyen, Phuong; Neupane, Sumanta; Thapa, Lila Bikram; Ghale, Yamuna; Ratanapruck, Prista; Rana, Pooja Pandey; Cunningham, Kenda; Saville, Naomi; Avula, Rasmi

Citation

Kapoor, Rati; Gupta, Monali; Gune, Soyra; Christopher, Anita; Nguyen, Phuong; Thapa, Lila Bikram; et al. 2024. Status of nutrition in Nepal: Trends in outcomes, determinants and coverage of interventions between 2016 and 2022. SANI Data Note 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155057

Country/Region

Nepal

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Children; Data; Nutrition; Surveys; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Data Paper

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Journal Article

Identifying measures for coverage of nutrition-sensitive social protection programs: Learnings from India

2024Nguyen, Phuong; Avula, Rasmi; Neupane, Sumanta; Akseer, Nadia; Heidkamp, Rebecca
Details

Identifying measures for coverage of nutrition-sensitive social protection programs: Learnings from India

Optimal child growth requires a combination of nutrition-specific and sensitive interventions in the first 1,000 days. There is limited guidance on how to measure the population-level coverage of nutrition-sensitive social protection (NSSP), which is designed with explicit nutrition goals and often provides food or cash transfers and co-coverage with nutrition and health intervention. In this study in India, we designed a questionnaire that captures seven core NSSP program elements (transfer type, size, modality, population, timing, provider, conditionalities), then used cognitive testing to refine the questionnaire, and then implemented the questions as part of a telephone survey. Cognitive testing indicated variability in understanding the terms used to specify NSSP programs, including the need to use regional program names. Respondents also had difficulty recalling the timing of the benefit receipt. We included the refined NSSP coverage questions in a phone-based survey with 6,627 mothers with children <2 years across six states. Coverage of subsidized food was 73% across all households. Women were more likely to report receiving food than cash transfers during pregnancy (89% vs. 60%) and during lactation (75% vs. 13%). Co-coverage of NSSP with nutrition and health interventions during pregnancy (16%) and early childhood (3%) was low. It was feasible to measure coverage of NSSP investments in these populations; however, further research is needed to comprehensively assess all the dimensions of the NSSP benefits, including benefit adequacy and the validity of these questions when administered in person and by phone.

Year published

2024

Authors

Nguyen, Phuong; Avula, Rasmi; Neupane, Sumanta; Akseer, Nadia; Heidkamp, Rebecca

Citation

Nguyen, Phuong; Avula, Rasmi; Neupane, Sumanta; Akseer, Nadia; and Heidkamp, Rebecca. 2024. Identifying measures for coverage of nutrition-sensitive social protection programs: Learnings from India. Maternal and Child Nutrition 20(4): e13661. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13661

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Child Growth; Measurement; Nutrition; Social Protection

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13661 Source record

Project

Sustainable Healthy Diets

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Diet quality among mothers and children in India: Roles of social and behavior change communication and nutrition-sensitive social protection programs

2024Nguyen, Phuong; Neupane, Sumanta S.; Pant, Anjali; Avula, Rasmi; Herforth, Anna
Details

Diet quality among mothers and children in India: Roles of social and behavior change communication and nutrition-sensitive social protection programs

Background: Limited evidence exists on determinants of maternal and child diet quality. Objectives: This study examined the role of Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) and nutrition-sensitive social protection (NSSP) programs on maternal and child diet quality. Methods: Data were from cross-sectional phone survey on 6,627 Indian mothers that took place in late 2021. The Diet Quality Questionnaire (DQQ) was used to measure maternal and child diet quality, including minimum dietary diversity (MDD), dietary diversity scores (DDS), non-communicable disease (NCD)-Protect and NCD-Risk, adherence to dietary guidelines (All-5 and India-All-6), and unhealthy child feeding. Multivariate regression models were used to explore the association between diet indicators and coverage of SBCC and NSSP programs. Results: Maternal and child diet quality was suboptimal, with more mothers (57%) achieving MDD than children (23%). SBCC was positively associated with healthy food consumption in children (Odds Ratio, OR=2.14 for MDD, β=0.60 for DDS and 0.54 for NCD-Protect), and mothers (β=0.38 for DDS and 0.43 for NCD-Protect). Cash transfers were associated with healthier diets in mothers (OR=1.45 for MDD, 1.86 for All-5, and 2.14 for India-All-6, β=0.43 for DDS and 0.26 for NCD-Protect), but less associations for children (β=0.14 for NCD-Protect). Receiving food was associated with healthier diets in mothers (OR 1.47 for MDD, β= 0.27 for DDS and 0.33 for NCD-Protect) and children (β=0.19 for DDS and 0.15 for NCD-Protect), but also with unhealthy food in children (OR=1.34). Exposure to multiple programs showed stronger associations with diet quality. Conclusion: SBCC had greater positive impact on child feeding than food and cash transfers, while cash had a stronger association with improved maternal diets. Food and cash are also associated with unhealthy food consumption. Our study underscores the importance of interventions that combine education, resource provision, and targeted support to promote maternal and child diet quality.

Year published

2024

Authors

Nguyen, Phuong; Neupane, Sumanta S.; Pant, Anjali; Avula, Rasmi; Herforth, Anna

Citation

Nguyen, Phuong; Neupane, Sumanta S.; Pant, Anjali; Avula, Rasmi; and Herforth, Anna. 2024. Diet quality among mothers and children in India: Roles of social and behavior change communication and nutrition-sensitive social protection programs. Journal of Nutrition 154(9): 2784-2794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.07.026

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Diet Quality; Maternal and Child Health; Social Protection; Nutrition; Cash Transfers; Children; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.07.026 Source record

Project

Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia

Record type

Journal Article

Events

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Transforming Diets
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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November 9 to 10, 2022

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Transforming Diets

Hybrid Event: November 9, 2022 – 4:30 PM to November 10, 2022 – 6:30 PM GMT. The purpose of this conference is to synthesize relevant evidence and stimulate dialogue to inform and guide policy and program initiatives in South Asia for improving equitable access to and consumption of healthy diets.

Delivering for Nutrition in India: Insights from Implementation Research
IFPRI Program/Country Event

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September 14 to 18, 2020

Delivering for Nutrition in India: Insights from Implementation Research

Coinciding with the national nutrition month in India, or Poshan Maah, a group of 19 co-hosts are organizing the third India-focused implementation research conference “Delivering for Nutrition in India: Insights from Implementation Research” from 14-18 September 2020. At this event, participants will review evidence to inform the implementation of current policy and program initiatives. They […]

American Society for Nutrition Live Online 2020
IFPRI at External Event

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June 1 to 4, 2020

American Society for Nutrition Live Online 2020

IFPRI is participating in the American Society for Nutrition Live Online 2020 event on June 01-04, 2020. The event will include lectures, scientific sessions, satellite programs, virtual abstract presentations, virtual exhibits, and more. Nutrition in a Pandemic Environment  COVID-19’s Pathways of Impact on Nutrition (June 02, 2020 — 10:30am – 10:45am) Panel Discussion (June 02, 2020 — […]

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News

January 10, 2023 | In the News

On rice schemes, how Naveen Patnaik has been one step ahead of Centre (Indian Express) 

Indian Express reports on the progress Odisha is making to move into the next leg of its National Food Security scheme showing a good example of how food schemes – specifically to provide cheap rice – can be a winner.  It was in 2008 that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik first unveiled the scheme to provide Rs […]

November 19, 2019 | In the News

Odisha’s stride in nutrition (The Hindu)

The Hindu published an article about Odisha’s (India) work to improve nutrition. IFPRI’s research called for inter-department engagements to accelerate the nutrition outcome in Odisha. There is a need to improve sanitation, women’s education, and underlying poverty, to be able to tackle undernutrition.

July 03, 2019 | In the News

How fixing female malnutrition can boost India’s economy by $15-46 billion (Business Standard)

India’s Business Standard reported on the potential for investing in women’s nutrition to boost the country’s economy by up to $46 billion. The article described the state of women’s, and consequently children’s, malnourishment in India and referenced an IFPRI study by Senior Research Fellow Purnima Menon and Research Fellows Rasmi Avula and Samuel Scott that […]

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