FOOD ENVIRONMENTS AND CHILD
NUTRITION AMONG CIRCULAR
MIGRANT FAMILIES WORKING IN THE
BRICK KILNS OF BIHAR, INDIA
Reshma Roshania, Rakesh Giri, Melissa Young, G Sai Mala, Amy Webb Girard, Solveig Cunningham, Aritra Das, Tanmay
Mahapatra, Sridhar Srikantiah, Usha Ramakrishnan
Photo by: Reshma Roshania
3
Circular Migration and Child Nutrition
Education/Skills
Accumulative Migration
Ear
nin
gs
Migration for Survival and Coping
• Informal manual labor• Agriculture• Brick Kilns
• Family migration
Explore child nutrition status and food environment among circular migrants• State of Origin• Child Age at First Migration
Research Objective
Potential Effects on Nutrition
₹
Deshingkar P, Farrington J. A Framework for Understanding Circular Migration. Circular migration and multilocational livelihood strategies in rural India 2009. p. 1-36.
METHODS
5
Study Design: Quantitative Component
• Timeline: June 2018, February 2019
• Eligibility Criteria: Circular migrant mother who migrated with child under 3 years of age to kiln
• Sampling Design:
• Data Collection:• Household Survey• Child Anthropometry
• Outcomes:• Primary:
• Stunting• Wasting
• Secondary:• Food Security (FIES)
• Statistical Analyses• Descriptive, bivariate,
ordinal logistic regression (SAS 9.4)
• Complex survey design
• Sample Size: 1,470 children under 3
6
Study Design: Qualitative Component
In-depth interviews Migrant mothers of young children (11)
Migrant fathers of young children (6)
Focus group discussions (2) Migrant women
Key informant interviews (8) Brick kiln owners/managers
Labor contractors
Thematic analysis in MAXQDA 2018
RESULTS
Circular Migrant Origin & Child Age at First Migration
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Per
cen
tag
e
24 to 35 months
12 to 23 months
0 to 11 months
Born duringmigration
* Among n=346 children currently 24-35 months 8
State of Origin Distribution Child Age at First Migration by Origin*
0102030405060708090
100
Per
cen
tag
e
Agriculture Non-Ag Labor
Unemployed Other
0 10 20 30 40
Fish
Fruits
Goat/Sheep/Pig
Chicken
Milk Producing Animals
Green Leafy Vegetables
Vegetables
Grains
Percentage
Agricultural Participation among Circular Migrants
9
Primary Occupation at Home Village by Origin Food Production at Home Village
10
Drivers Outcomes
Agricultural Drivers and Outcomes of Circular Migration
‘In our land, there's no
water. If we had water,
then this many people
would not come to the
chimney from Ranchi. The
water will be there until
Holi, after that it will dry
up from the rivers, ponds
and wells. Only where
there's a little bit of water
do we plant wheat and
vegetables. Otherwise we
have a world full of land.’
‘We earn, we eat for 6
months, then we go
back home. Then we
take our earnings and
use them towards our
fields. Then after 6
months in the season,
we can go anywhere
and we can work.’
11
Drivers Outcomes
Agricultural Drivers and Outcomes of Circular Migration
‘In our land, there's no
water. If we had water,
then this many people
would not come to the
chimney from Ranchi. The
water will be there until
Holi, after that it will dry
up from the rivers, ponds
and wells. Only where
there's a little bit of water
do we plant wheat and
vegetables. Otherwise we
have a world full of land.’
‘We earn, we eat for 6
months, then we go
back home. Then we
take our earnings and
use them towards our
fields. Then after 6
months in the season,
we can go anywhere
and we can work.’
₹
₹
12
Changes in Food Environment: Sources of Food
0102030405060708090
100
Per
cen
tag
eChanges in Food Environment: Non-Market Sources
Public Distribution System Utilization at Origin
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Yes No
Severe
Moderate
Mild
None
Public Distribution System Utilization and Food Insecurity
p = 0.013
13
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Lower Second Middle Fourth Higher ≤ 4 > 5 1st 2 to 5 6 to 10 > 10
Per
cen
tag
e
Severe
Moderate
Mild
None
Food Insecurity among Circular Migrants
Wealth Quintile** Kiln HH Size* Number of Years Migrating** p <0.01** p <0.001
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Lower Second Middle Fourth Higher ≤ 4 > 5 First 2 to 5 6 to 10 > 10
Per
cen
tag
e
Severe
Moderate
Mild
None
14
Food Insecurity among Circular Migrants
Wealth Quintile** Kiln HH Size* Number of Years Migrating** p <0.01** p <0.001
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Lower Second Middle Fourth Higher ≤ 4 > 5 First 2 to 5 6 to 10 > 10
Per
cen
tag
e
Severe
Moderate
Mild
None
15
Food Insecurity among Circular Migrants
Wealth Quintile** Kiln HH Size* Number of Years Migrating** p <0.01** p <0.001
Food Environment:Prices &Affordability
‘Here it is so expensive, what can I say? Rs. 300, 400, 500 just for vegetables, oil, and spices, not including rice and wheat flour. At home, we grow food. What do we need to buy?’
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Photo by: Reshma Roshania
‘If we work or don't work, even if we only work two days in a week, we will still get 300 or 400 rupees, so we eat whatever we want, meat, fish, eggs, daal, puri … It happens at home, if there isn’t money, then how will we eat?’
- Rukmani Devi, Shakti Kiln, Rohtas
Food Environment:Accessibility
‘We go wherever it's nice, where there is a bazaar, where there is good market, where the place is nice. Here it's so nice, trains and buses run, wouldn't it feel good? Here the market is good, it is in the village. There are close to ten stores for vegetables.’
17
‘This kiln is the worst. The bazaar, haat, everything is far. The bricks are heavier too.
Photo by: Reshma Roshania
- Savita Devi, Star Kiln, Patna
- Laxmi Devi (Sardarni), Bharat Kiln, Gopalganj
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0-5 months
6-11 months
12-23 months
24-35 months
All
Ag
e C
ateg
ory
Severe Wasting ( < -3 SD) Moderate Wasting (-2 SD to -3 SD) No Wasting (> -2SD)18
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
0-5 months
6-11 months
12-23 months
24-35 months
All
Ag
e C
ateg
ory
Severe Stunting (< -3 SD) Moderate Stunting (-2 SD to -3 SD) No Stunting (> -2 SD)
Nutrition Status among Children under 3 by Age Category
p <0.001
p = 0.004
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Odds Ratio
Child Stunting Ordinal Logistic Regression Model
0 1 10
Jharkhand vs. Intrastate OriginWest Bengal vs. Intrastate Origin
Assam vs. Intrastate OriginOther vs. Intrastate Origin
Birth during migration vs. 24 to 35 months0 to 5 months vs. 24 to 35 months
6 to 11 months vs. 24 to 35 months12 to 23 months vs. 24 to 35 months
Child Age (months)Lower vs. Higher Wealth Quintile
Second vs. Higher Wealth QuintileMiddle vs. Higher Wealth QuintileFourth vs. Higher Wealth Quintile
Marginalized CasteHousehold Size
ParityMaternal Age
Above 8th Standard vs. No EducationUp to 8th Standard vs No Education
CONCLUSION
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Implications
Data Gaps
Right to Food
Targeted Programming
Summary
LivelihoodStrategy
Short-term Affordability
Age at First
Migration
Photo by: Reshma Roshania
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Research Participants
Bihar Department of Mines and Geology
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation