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. 2025 Jul 18;17(7):e88215.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.88215. eCollection 2025 Jul.

Effectiveness of Local Mother's Kitchen Recipe Talks in Reducing the Burden of Anemia Among Children Under Five, Adolescents, Pregnant Women, and Lactating Mothers in Guntur District, India: A Community-Based Intervention Trial

Arti Gupta  1 , Vishnu Rajan  1 , Venkatashiva Reddy B  1 , Mounika Kollimarla  1 , Rajeev Aravindakshan  1
Affiliations

Effectiveness of Local Mother's Kitchen Recipe Talks in Reducing the Burden of Anemia Among Children Under Five, Adolescents, Pregnant Women, and Lactating Mothers in Guntur District, India: A Community-Based Intervention Trial

Arti Gupta et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background Iron deficiency anemia remains a significant public health concern, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children under five, adolescents, pregnant women, and lactating mothers in low- and middle-income countries. Sustainable, community-driven dietary interventions leveraging locally available foods could provide a culturally acceptable alternative. Objective This study assesses the effectiveness of a community-based intervention that incorporates local mother's kitchen recipes and nutrition education talks in enhancing hemoglobin and dietary iron intake levels among targeted groups in the Guntur District, India. Materials and methods A one-year community-based intervention trial was conducted in two randomly selected villages, with one village as the intervention arm and the other as the control. A total of 504 participants were enrolled, including children under five, primary school children, and adolescents. The intervention included hands-on cooking sessions that promoted iron-rich, locally available recipes, as well as structured educational talks. Hemoglobin, dietary iron levels, and anthropometric measurements were assessed at baseline and at the post-intervention time point. Data analysis involved difference-in-difference analysis and McNemar tests to assess changes in key parameters. Results Participants who attended more than six sessions demonstrated an increase in hemoglobin levels, particularly among children under five (β = 0.70, 95% CI: -0.24 to 1.60) and primary school children (β = 0.40, 95% CI: -0.74 to 1.54). Significant reductions in stunting (92% to 7.7%), underweight, and wasting were observed in children under five. While some reproductive-age women showed declining dietary iron levels, hemoglobin levels improved. Conclusion The mother's kitchen model fosters sustainable dietary modifications, improving anemia status and nutritional outcomes beyond pharmacological supplementation.

Keywords: anemia; community based trial; dietary iron intake; field trial; malnutrition; mother's kitchen.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Ethics Committee of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Mangalagiri issued approval AIIMS/MG/IEC/2022-23/225. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards outlined in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its subsequent amendments. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Flowchart of participants throughout the study
LTFU: loss to follow-up
Figure 2
Figure 2. Change in mean dietary iron intake levels of participants stratified by the number of sessions attended
Red: ≤5 visits, blue: ≥6 visits
Figure 3
Figure 3. Change in mean hemoglobin levels of participants stratified by the number of sessions attended
Red: ≤5 visits, blue: ≥6 visits
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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