Assessment of Nutritional Status and Nutrient Intake Among Birhors: A Marginalized Tribal Group of Chhattisgarh, India

Food insecurity and malnutrition as a silent emergency (characterized by UNESCO) pose significant challenges in low- and middle-income countries like India, especially impacting underprivileged communities at higher risk of poor health and nutritional outcomes, making community members unfit or less productive and contributing to societal underdevelopment. This study aims to assess the nutritional status and nutrient intake of the Birhor, a highly vulnerable tribal group in Korba district, Chhattisgarh, India. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 230 adult Birhors (103 males, and 127 females), who underwent anthropometric measurements and dietary assessments using a 24-hour recall method over three days. Nutritional status was evaluated according to WHO's (1995) BMI classification and dietary analysis was performed using NutriSurvey software. Total 53% of the studied population experienced chronic energy deficiency [CED I (37%), CED II (8.3%), CED III (7.7%)], with no significant difference (χ² = 0.92, P > 0.05) between males (53.4%) and females (52.8%). The average nutrient intake was as follows: energy (2200.58 ± 482.26 kcal/day), protein (57.33 ± 49.57 g), fat (9.65 ± 8.89 g), carbohydrates (464.24 ± 194.17 g), vitamin A (802.96 ± 100.7 µg), vitamin B₁ (2.81 ± 1.37 mg), vitamin B₂ (0.57 ± 0.32 mg), vitamin B₆ (3.40 ± 2.40 mg), folate (225.82 ± 192.70 µg), calcium (337.08 ± 191.45 mg), magnesium (287.44 ± 106.27 mg), iron (22.36 ± 10.62 mg), and zinc (11.72 ± 2.73 mg). Notably, the intake of energy, vitamin B₂, folate, calcium, magnesium, and zinc was below recommended levels (ICMR-NIN, 2020) for both genders, while the mean total energy requirement was estimated at 2363.7 ± 473.51 kcal/day for males and 2296.40 ± 556.44 kcal/day for females. Both anthropometric analysis and nutrient intake reveal the critical nutritional status of the studied population, highlighting the need for multi-dimensional strategies to tackle undernutrition in these tribal communities.