Socio-Demographic Correlates of Health and Nutrition Among Rural and Plantation Communities of the western Dooars, Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70851/jfines.2025.2(2).98.107Keywords:
forest fringe villages, rural health, socio-demographic factors, tea garden workers, undernutritionAbstract
Health and nutrition outcomes are profoundly influenced by socio-demographic factors, particularly in economically and geographically marginalized communities. This study investigated the health and nutritional status of tea garden workers and forest fringe village residents in selected areas of the western Dooars region of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, India. The primary objectives were to assess the demographic and socio-economic profiles of the population, explore correlations between socio-demographic variables and nutritional status, and suggest recommendations for betterment of community well-being. A community-based cross-sectional study was done from September 2024 to January 2025. Data were collected from 156 adult participants (101 males, 55 females) using a pre-structured questionnaire through a multi-stage random sampling technique. Variables analysed included age, gender, occupation, income, education. Results revealed substantial disparities in age, gender, occupation, income, education, addiction status, food security. Undernutrition, poor dietary diversity, and limited access to healthcare was prevalent, especially among female and elderly respondents. The findings highlighted the urgent need for targeted policy interventions focusing on nutrition education, healthcare accessibility, and livelihood support. Strengthening community-based initiatives and implementing development programs tailored to the unique needs of these vulnerable populations are essential for promoting equitable and sustainable health outcomes in the region.
References
Alaimo, K., Chilton, M., & Jones, S. J. (2020). Food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition. In Present knowledge in nutrition (pp. 311–326). Academic Press.
Akhtar, S. (2016). Malnutrition in South Asia—A critical reappraisal. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 56(14), 2320–2330. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2013.832143
Anand, A., & Roy, N. (2016). Prevalence and determinants of co-use of alcohol and tobacco among men in working age group (18–59 years) in India. Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.2427/11642
Biadgilign, S., Ayenew, H. Y., Shumetie, A., Chitekwe, S., Tolla, A., Haile, D. & Gebre, B. (2019). Good governance, public health expenditures, urbanization and child undernutrition nexus in Ethiopia: An ecological analysis. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3822-2
Biswas, D., Hazarika, N. C., Hazarika, D., Doloi, P., & Mahanta, J. (2002). Study on nutritional status of tea garden workers of Assam with special emphasis to body mass index (BMI) and central obesity. Journal of Human Ecology, 13(4), 299–302.
Chakrabarty, S. (2019). Socio-economic inequalities and food security among the Rabha tribe living in fringe forest areas of North Bengal. In Development and deprivation in the Indian sub-continent (pp. 369–385). Routledge.
Chakraborty, S. (2015). Human-animal conflicts in northern West Bengal: Losses on both sides. International Journal of Pure & Applied Bioscience, 3, 35–44.
Chakraborty, S. (2018). Perception and attitude of local people towards human-elephant conflicts around Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India. International Journal of Zoology Studies, 3(2), 93–95.
Chakraborty, S., Banerjee, S., Chatterjee, A., & Mallick, P. H. (2024). People’s perceptions and attitudes towards human-elephant conflicts and mitigation practices in the western part of southern West Bengal, India. GeoJournal, 89(4), 175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-024-11179-3
Chakraborty, S., Mallick, P. H., & Kundu, S. (2023). Participatory rural appraisal for assessing freshwater wetland status and fishery potential in West Midnapore, West Bengal, India. Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 76(2), 134–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-023-00477-2
DePrince, A. E., & Morris, P. D. (2008). The effects of education on the natural rate of unemployment. Business Economics, 43, 45–54. https://doi.org/10.2145/20080205
Dutraj, S., & Chhetri, D. (2023). Food security problems and issues in tea garden of Dooars: A case study of Kathalguri Tea Garden. Athena, 97–104.
Hossain, M. K., Ferdushi, K. F., & Khan, H. T. (2019). Self-assessed health status among ethnic elderly of tea garden workers in Bangladesh. Ageing International, 44(4), 385–398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-019-09354-w
IFAD. (2017). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2017. FAO.
Kairi, T. K., & Dey, S. (2022). Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among tea garden workers in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 12(5), e061305. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061305
Khurana, A., Taksande, A., Meshram, R. J., & Khurana Jr, A. (2024). Beyond boundaries: A comprehensive review of anthropometric indices in urban and rural India. Cureus, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.538994
Medhi, G. K., Hazarika, N. C., Shah, B., & Mahanta, J. (2006). Study of health problems and nutritional status of tea garden population of Assam. Indian Journal of Medical Sciences, 60(12), 496–505.
Mishra, V. K., Srivastava, S., Muhammad, T., & Murthy, P. V. (2022). Relationship between tobacco use, alcohol consumption and non-communicable diseases among women in India: Evidence from National Family Health Survey-2015-16. BMC Public Health, 22, 713. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13191-z
Mittal, P. C., & Srivastava, S. (2006). Diet, nutritional status and food related traditions of Oraon tribes of New Mal (West Bengal), India. Rural and Remote Health, 6(2), 1–11.
Nath, S. K., Dutta, A. M., Datta, S., Chattopadhyay, S., & Das, A. S. (2018). Nutritional and health status of the tea garden workers of West Tripura District, Tripura, India. International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews, 5(4), 700–706.
Patel, K., Palo, S. K., Kanungo, S., Mishra, B. K., & Pati, S. (2022). Health literacy on hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, and diseases among rural secondary school children – Findings from a qualitative study in Odisha, India. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 11(9), 5430–5436. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_2166_21
Paul, S., & Rohatgi, S. (2014). Socio-economic status and health behavior of tea plantation workers of Dooars region, West Bengal. Geographical Thoughts, 12.
Pednekar, M. S., Sansone, G., & Gupta, P. C. (2012). Association of alcohol, alcohol and tobacco with mortality: Findings from a prospective cohort study in Mumbai (Bombay), India. Alcohol, 46(2), 139–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2011.08.006
Placzek, O. (2021). Socio-economic and demographic aspects of food security and nutrition. OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers, 150. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/49d7059f-en
Preeti, S., & Raut, D. K. (2012). Prevalence and pattern of tobacco consumption in India. International Research Journal of Social Sciences, 1(4), 36–43.
Roy, S., & Chaudhuri, S. (2023). Present status of workers in Kalchini Tea Garden: Socio-economic perspective. BKGC Scholars, 4(1).
Sabud, P., Ghosh, T., Dhar, A., Dutta, S., Bisai, S., & Choudhury, S. M. (2020). Malnutrition based on mid-upper arm circumference and dietary consumption pattern of Lodha tribal children of West Bengal, India. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 8(12), 4329–4333. https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20204948
Sarkar, B. C. (2017a). Living conditions of tribal people as tea garden workers in Dooars of Jalpaiguri District. Final Report of UGC Minor Research Project.
Sarkar, B. C. (2017b). Socio-economic status of tribal people in Mal Subdivision of Jalpaiguri District, West Bengal: A geographical analysis (Doctoral dissertation, University of North Bengal).
Sarkar, R., Dasgupta, P., & Bhattacherjee, S. (2024). Morbidity pattern of tea garden residents of Darjeeling, India. MRIMS Journal of Health Sciences, 12(3), 215–218.
Saxena, N. C. (2018). Hunger, under-nutrition and food security in India. In India’s development experience (pp. 55–92). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0677-8_4
Sternlieb, G., & Hughes, J. W. (1987). The demographic long wave: Population trends and economic growth. Economic Development Quarterly, 1(4), 307–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124248700100401
Suwal, R., & Dahal, M. P. (2014). Economically active population: Dimensions and dynamics. Population Monograph of Nepal, 3, 1–40.
Thresia, C. U. (2018). Health inequalities in South Asia at the launch of sustainable development goals: Exclusions in health in Kerala, India need political interventions. International Journal of Health Services, 48(1), 57–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020731417738222
Yasmin, S., Sau, M., Patra, M., Sinha, N., & Baur, B. (2022). Poverty, undernutrition and morbidity: The untold story of tea-garden workers of Alipurduar district, West Bengal. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 11(6), 2526–2531. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1322_21
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Souraditya Chakraborty, Ayush Kumar Sah, Ayushman Pradhan, Keshab Sharma, Lalita Agarwal, Laxmi Pradhan, Mamta Sahu, Mausumi Roy, Monisha Khanam, Nabin Paul (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
