Panaji: State govt will conduct a comprehensive Food, Nutrition, Health, and WASH (FNHW) study to assess dietary diversity among women and children, household-level food security, and practices related to the initiation of complementary feeding.Samples will be drawn from four categories: pregnant women, mothers of children under two years, and children under two years. The study will also hold village-level group discussions with at least 15 participants.The assessment provides insights into outcomes and progress across the themes and areas in the state operational strategy. A baseline will establish the current situation, and an end line will measure change, helping identify gaps, strengths, and areas for improvement to support evidence-based decisions on future interventions.A senior govt official said, “This assessment will provide a clear understanding of the starting point and identify the specific challenges and needs in these areas. Progress under other indicators, as per the state operational strategy (such as maternal and child care, anaemia, malnutrition, etc, will also be documented and monitored over a period of time.“Another senior govt official said that by comparing baseline findings with current interventions, the study will determine intervention effectiveness and measure progress in improving diet diversity, enhancing food security, improving nutrition outcomes for women and children, and promoting appropriate complementary feeding practices, along with other indicators under the state operational strategy.The study will use a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative tools will include time comparison (baseline vs end line) and a cross-sectional study to estimate programme impact.“The current study does not suggest the usage of an experimental control design. Qualitative techniques, such as focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) with beneficiaries and stakeholders, will be used for gaining valuable insights into the programme’s impact,” the official said.
