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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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experts

Nutrition, Diets, and Health

Samuel Scott

Research Fellow

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Bio

Samuel Scott is a Research Fellow in IFPRI’s Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. With IFPRI since 2016, he conducts applied nutrition research in the South Asia region. He has experience working on iron deficiency and anemia, adolescent health, biofortification, human functional outcomes such as cognition, behavior change communication strategies, women’s self-help groups, school feeding programs, and health systems.

Prior to joining IFPRI, Dr. Scott completed postdoctoral research on The Interactions of Malnutrition and Enteric Infections: Consequences for Child Health and Development (MAL-ED) project. His doctoral research involved randomized controlled trials in India and Rwanda to measure the efficacy of iron-biofortified pearl millet and beans, and a study examining interrelations between iron status, physical fitness, and cognitive function among female college students in the United States. He holds a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the Pennsylvania State University.

Publications

CV

Publications

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Journal Article

Women improving nutrition through self-help groups in India: Does nutrition information help?

2024Kumar, Neha; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Scott, Samuel P.; Menon, Purnima; Thai, Giang; Gupta, Shivani; Nichols, Carly; WINGS study team
Details

Women improving nutrition through self-help groups in India: Does nutrition information help?

Women’s self-help groups (SHGs) are an important platform for reaching poor women in India. Despite SHGs’ women-focused programming, evidence of the impact of SHG-based interventions on nutrition outcomes is limited, and most evaluations of nutrition interventions have not examined intermediate outcomes along the impact pathways or outcomes for women themselves. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an integrated agriculture-nutrition intervention delivered through women’s SHGs in five states in central and eastern India. The interventions involved the delivery of nutrition behavior change communication to groups through participatory approaches, community engagement around key issues, and the strengthening of collective organizations. Our analysis is based on three rounds of rich panel data on close to 2700 rural women and their households from eight districts in these five states and qualitative work from an accompanying process evaluation. Using difference-in-difference models with nearest neighbor matching methods, we present results on women’s anthropometry and diet-related outcomes. We do not observe any improvements in women’s BMI or overall dietary diversity. Although more women in the nutrition intensification arm consumed animal source foods, nuts and seeds, and fruits, this was not enough to increase overall dietary diversity scores or the proportion of women achieving minimum dietary diversity. We measure intermediate outcomes along the program’s impact pathways and find improvements in household incomes, cultivation of home gardens, and utilization of government schemes but not in women’s empowerment. The lack of improvement in anthropometry and diets despite changes in some intermediate outcomes can be attributed to several factors such as low implementation intensity, poor facilitator capacity and incentives, the lack of relevance of the BCC topics to the average SHG member, and resource and agency constraints to adoption of recommended practices. Although we do not have data to test the parallel trends assumption and so do not interpret our results as causal, these findings do suggest that optimism about using group-based platforms needs to be tempered in resource-poor contexts.

Year published

2024

Authors

Kumar, Neha; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Scott, Samuel P.; Menon, Purnima; Thai, Giang; Gupta, Shivani; Nichols, Carly; WINGS study team

Citation

Kumar, Neha; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Scott, Samuel P.; Menon, Purnima; Thai, Giang; Gupta, Shivani; Nichols, Carly; and WINGS study team. 2024. Women improving nutrition through self-help groups in India: Does nutrition information help? Food Policy 128(October 2024): 102716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102716

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agriculture; Body Mass Index; Maternal Nutrition; Self-help Groups; Women; Nutrition Education

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102716 Source record

Project

Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia

Record type

Journal Article

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Abstract

Gender disparities in food shopping patterns: Evidence from rural Bangladesh, India, and Nepal

2024
Boncyk, Morgan; Gupta, Ishika; Isanovic, Sejla; Avula, Rasmi; Choudhury, Samira; Scott, Samuel; Blake, Christine E.; Frongillo, Edward A.; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Menon, Purnima
…more Veettil, Prakashan Chellattan
Details

Gender disparities in food shopping patterns: Evidence from rural Bangladesh, India, and Nepal

Objectives: Understanding gender differences in food acquisition and decision-making is needed to inform policies promoting healthy diets for all. We compare food acquisition patterns and preferences of men and women in three South Asian countries. Methods: In 2023, 4,000 rural households with adolescents were randomly selected with a proportional probability per village in five districts: Rajshahi and Rangpur in Bangladesh, Nalanda in India, and Banke and Surkhet in Nepal. Adults primarily responsible for household food purchases were asked where, why, and how they acquired frequently consumed foods. Foods were categorized as healthy or unhealthy. Analyses compared shoppers’ responses by country, district, and gender. Results: Food shoppers (n=2,555) were primarily men in India and Bangladesh, women in Nepal, and averaged 41 years of age. Food purchases were mostly from retail outlets in India and Nepal, and wholesale open-air markets in Bangladesh. Shoppers’ preferred purchasing source was primarily based on cost and distance. On average, shoppers traveled 2.9 km to purchase food, women 0.9 km further than men. Unhealthy foods were purchased more than healthy foods (2.6 vs 1.3 times/mo), with biscuits most often (3.8 times/mo). Nepal had 66% lower food purchase frequency than Bangladesh. Purchases varied by gender and country: healthy and unhealthy foods were purchased more by men in Bangladesh and women in India. In Nepal, men purchased more healthy foods than women, and women purchased more unhealthy foods than men. In India and Nepal, shoppers found unhealthy foods as more accessible and affordable than healthy foods; in Bangladesh, shoppers found healthy foods more accessible and affordable. Perceptions varied by gender and country: men found healthy and unhealthy foods more accessible and affordable than women in Bangladesh and Nepal, in India, such perceptions were predominant among women. With more income, men and women would purchase more animal-sourced foods and produce and fewer unhealthy foods. Women would purchase more legumes and grains than men. Conclusions: In rural South Asia, women perceived healthy foods as less affordable and accessible and purchased unhealthy foods more frequently than men. Policies and programs are needed to improve healthy food access, lower costs, and promote gender equity in food acquisition.

Year published

2024

Authors

Boncyk, Morgan; Gupta, Ishika; Isanovic, Sejla; Avula, Rasmi; Choudhury, Samira; Scott, Samuel; Blake, Christine E.; Frongillo, Edward A.; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Menon, Purnima; Veettil, Prakashan Chellattan

Citation

Boncyk, Morgan; Gupta, Ishika; Isanovic, Sejla; Avula, Rasmi; Choudhury, Samira; Scott, Samuel; Blake, Christine E.; Frongillo, Edward A.; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Menon, Purnima; and Veettil, Prakashan Chellattan. 2024. Gender disparities in food shopping patterns: Evidence from rural Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Current Developments in Nutrition 8 (Supplement 2): 102834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.102834

Country/Region

Bangladesh; India; Nepal

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Gender; Foods; Decision Making; Markets; Diet

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-ND-3.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.102834 Source record

Record type

Abstract

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Journal Article

Effects of a large-scale alcohol ban on population-level alcohol intake, weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, and domestic violence in India: A quasi-experimental population-based study

2024Chakrabarti, Suman; Christopher, Anita; Scott, Samuel P.; Kishore, Avinash; Nguyen, Phuong
Details

Effects of a large-scale alcohol ban on population-level alcohol intake, weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, and domestic violence in India: A quasi-experimental population-based study

Background Globally, alcohol consumption is a leading risk factor for deaths and disability and a causal factor in over 200 diseases, injuries, and health conditions. In April 2016, the manufacture, transport, sale, and consumption of alcohol was banned in Bihar, a populous Indian state. We sought to estimate the impacts of this ban on health outcomes and domestic violence. Methods Data from the Indian National Family Health Surveys (2005–06, 2015–16, 2019–21), Annual Health Survey (2013), and District Level Household Survey (2012), were used to conduct difference-in-differences (DID) analysis, comparing Bihar (n = 10,733 men, n = 88,188 women) and neighbouring states (n = 38,674 men, n = 284,820 women) before and after the ban. Outcomes included frequent (daily or weekly) alcohol consumption, underweight, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and intimate partner violence. A triple difference model adding male–female interaction to the DID model was also estimated. Attributable averted cases were calculated to estimate the impact of the ban. Findings Across all models, the ban led to reduced frequent alcohol consumption (DID: −7.1 percentage points (pp) (95% CI −9.6pp, −4.6pp), lower overweight/obesity (−5.6pp (−8.9, −2.2) among males, and reduced experiences of emotional (−4.8pp (−8.2pp, −1.4pp) and sexual (−5.5pp (−8.7pp, −2.3pp) violence among females. The ban prevented approximately 2.4 million cases of daily/weekly alcohol consumption and 1.8 million cases of overweight/obesity among males, and 2.1 million cases of intimate partner violence among females. Interpretation Strict alcohol regulation policies may yield significant population level health benefits for frequent drinkers and many victims of intimate partner violence.

Year published

2024

Authors

Chakrabarti, Suman; Christopher, Anita; Scott, Samuel P.; Kishore, Avinash; Nguyen, Phuong

Citation

Chakrabarti, Suman; Christopher, Anita; Scott, Samuel P.; Kishore, Avinash; and Nguyen, Phuong H. 2024. Effects of a large-scale alcohol ban on population-level alcohol intake, weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, and domestic violence in India: A quasi-experimental population-based study. Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia 26: 100427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2024.100427

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Alcoholic Beverages; Diabetes; Hypertension; Domestic Violence; Obesity; Public Health Legislation; Public Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-NC-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lansea.2024.100427 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 04, 2024

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Leveraging plant-source foods for sustainable healthy diets

By Erick Boy, Inge Brouwer, Jen Foley, Natalia Palacios, Samuel Scott, and Victor Taleon

Integrating more fruits, vegetables, and other high-quality crops into food systems.

School feeding programs improve nutrition and child growth across generations: Evidence from India
IFPRI Blog
 | 
August 12, 2021

School feeding programs improve nutrition and child growth across generations: Evidence from India

By Suman Chakrabarti, Samuel Scott, Harold Alderman, Purnima Menon, and Daniel Gilligan

Research shows for the first time the benefits of a key type of social protection program extend years later to the children of recipients.

Study: Examining wealth and residential inequalities in India’s double burden of malnutrition
IFPRI Blog
 | 
April 26, 2021

Study: Examining wealth and residential inequalities in India’s double burden of malnutrition

By Phuong Hong Nguyen, Samuel Scott, and Honor Dearlove

Rising obesity rates among both rich and poor, and other trends.

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Events

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 3 to 5, 2024

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Connecting the Dots Across Systems

South Asia grapples with escalating levels of malnutrition in various forms, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies, alongside increasing incidence of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition results from a complex interplay of factors incorporating household and individual decision-making, agriculture and food systems, healthcare services, education, and socio-ecological systems that determine access to services and […]

South Asia Launch | Nepal | 2024 Global Food Policy Report: Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition
Series/Special Event

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August 8 to 9, 2024

South Asia Launch | Nepal | 2024 Global Food Policy Report: Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition

Despite significant progress in addressing hunger and undernutrition in the early 2000s, malnutrition, in all its forms, remains a major challenge in all regions of the world. Unhealthy diets remain the primary drivers of many forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and diet- related noncommunicable diseases. Today, the number of people […]

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

August 2 to 7, 2024

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists

The triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE-2024), centred on the theme “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” is scheduled from August 2-7, 2024, in New Delhi, India. The conference offers a distinctive platform, providing a golden opportunity for the agricultural academic institutions and researchers to convene in person, exchange knowledge, and actively contribute to the […]

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News

January 24, 2021 | In the News

Legal age for marriage (Aishwarya Sandeep Blog)

Aishwarya Sandeep Blog published a post on how the government is stepping in to decide on the legal marriage age for men and women. Currently, women can marry at 18, whereas men aren’t allowed to marry until 21. The age of maturity is the same–eighteen years of age. To avoid sex discrimination, the same should be true for marriage. […]

August 17, 2020 | In the News

India Has 1.5 Million Underage Brides Every Year. Here’s How ’21’ Can Change That (Better India)

Better India published an article on the government’s campaign to prevent underage marriage for girls. A task force to examine issues related to age of motherhood, lowering Maternal Mortality Rate and improvement of nutritional levels was created. An IFPRI study, “Social, biological and programmatic factors link adolescent pregnancy to early childhood undernutrition: a path analysis of India’s 2016 National […]

April 03, 2020 | In the News

India’s lockdown carries a silver lining: bluer skies (Asian Review)

Asian Review (Japan) published an article on air pollution in India, particularly New Delhi. The 21-day lockdown, ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain the spread of COVID-19 has improved air quality with factories idle, no cars on roads, and most public transportation suspended.  The article quoted from the study, Risk of acute respiratory infection from crop burning […]

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