Food price spikes relation to malnutrition among children in Andhra Pradesh, India
This article (PDF) in the The Journal of Nutrition, investigated the associations between food price spikes and childhood malnutrition in Andhra Pradesh, one of India’s largest states. The authors tested the hypothesis that the escalating prices of rice, legumes, eggs, and other staples of Indian diets significantly increased the risk of wasting (weight-for-height z scores) in children. The article concludes that rising food prices were associated with an increased risk of malnutrition among children in India. The study highlights that not only average annual food consumption, but also temporal nutritional changes associated with acute food price spikes, should be evaluated to ensure nutritional adequacy as such policies and programs are introduced. Policies to help ensure the affordability of food in the context of economic growth are likely critical for promoting children’s nutrition.