“Role of Cultural and Development Awareness on

Nutritional Health Status among Tribes and Role of

Anthropology”
(With Special reference to the tribes of Hazarirbag District, Jharkhand)

Authors

J o kh a n S h a r m a
Anthropological Survey of India, North- West Regional Centre, Dehradun
Abrar Alam SRF
Anthropological Survey of India, North- West Regional Centre, Dehradun

Abstract

Tribal development is a vast and complex issue, which is multidimensional. Health and nutrition are
important elements in the development process. Adequate nutrition enhances physical health, thereby
improves immune systems and reproductive health fitness (Gosh and Malik, 2009). Anthropologists believe
that culture influence all of man’s activities both biological and non-biological. The growing awareness of
culture’s role in health has been responsible for the development of medical anthropology as a sub field in
anthropology. Health of Human being bears relationship with socio economic status, family compositions,
customs, beliefs and values, life styles, house type and use of available medical resources in the society. Like
other tribal district of Jharkhand, Hazaribag is one of them. Oraon, Santhal, Munda, Bedia, Karmali, Mahli,
Birhor etc are the main tribes of this district. Health and Nutritional of tribes are the acute problem of our
country. In Hazaribag district, the general health status of the tribal populations is known to be poor.
The present papers focuses on status of nutritional health and eliminate the problem of malnutrition,
sources of income generation should be enhanced through the awareness about development programmed by
the NGOs and Government and role of anthropology.

Introduction
India is a tremendous country with disparate culture and ethnic diversities. Ranging form the
tribals, rural and urban people. India is having second largest tribal people in the world according
to 2001 census. Tribal constitute 8.2 % of the total population of the country they belong to various
levels of physical and socio-economic development. They are mainly depending on environmental
resources for their livelihood.

The tribes are generally found to live in jungles and hilly regions, mostly inaccessible to other
people and lying in the zones of less interaction. They are living in different ecological and
geoclamatic conditions in different concentration throughout the country. So they are culturally and

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widely different stages of social as well as economic development (Sahu, 1996, 1998, 2001). Their
socio-cultural and religious life is quite different to so called advance cultural groups of society.

The development means to unwrap, to disentangle, and to get rid of these problems as well
as the changes with growth. After the attainment of independence there were genuine attempts by
the government for the development of weaker section specially scheduled tribes through various
plan phases. The old policy of isolation was replaced by the policy of development through a
nation-building and national integration. Due to the implementation of policy of developmental
activities, provision for basic amenities attritions in traditional subsistence economy, its
Commercialization and extension of technical know-now through government departments and
non-government organization, changes in political, cultural, health, economic expectations,
alteration in food-habits and material possession leading to over dependence on non-local food
grain and industrial goods, land reclamation and a forestation etc. are the major moves behind the
changing face of the tribal area (Bhasin, 2005).

Jharkhand is one of the states having dense population of tribes of India. Here, 32 tribal groups
are found out of which 9 have been particulary Vulnerable Tribes Groups (VTGs). VTGs are most
backward in the context of economy, education, health and population status they live primarily in
small villages and have adjusted themselves with their natural environment. The rural development
department runs various schemes to reduce poverty, to generate employment, to improve
infrastructure facilities. Many new schemes for drinking water, housing, primary health, education
and nutrition have been added in these scheme for the development of tribes. But yet many of the
primitive tribe not know about the government schemes, so the grow of the tribal communities is
very uneven. In few communities, there is a definite decline threatening the very existence. This
decline may not be due to low level of fertility but to a rather high level of mortality and existing
bad health practices.

Anthropologists believe that culture influences all human activities both biological and non-
biological. The growing awareness of culture’s role in health has been responsible for the
development of medical anthropology as a sub field in anthropology. Anthropologist’s interest in
the study of medical systems grows out of the fact that health is a function not only of medical care
but also a significant aspect of the over all integrated development of individuals in a society.
Health of human beings bears relationship with socio-economic status, family compositions,
customs, beliefs and values life styles, house type and use of available medical resources in the
society (khan, Hussain & Ali, 1992).

In the present study emphasis has been given to highlight on the growing awareness of
culture’s role in health with special reference to the tribes of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand.
Santhal, Munda, Orons, Bedia, Karmali, Mahli, Birhor etc. are the main tribes of this district. The
santhal, Munda, Oraon and Bedia are good cultivators. The Karmalis form a minor tribe who
mostly depend on the work done by this for their neighbors. The Mahli are very been the most
important means it their expert in making different kinds of items from bamboo. Bamboo craft is
their livelihood. The Birhor is a vanishing, semi-nomadic, huntress, food gatherers toolmakers,
isolators and a group of half fed and half naked people. (Sahu, 1998, 2001) These tribes belong to
Austroasiatic sub-section of Austric Language family which is perhaps the oldest Language family
of the world but their culture and health status vary from tribe to tribe.

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Role of cultural Awareness among Tribes
The tribal community has its amazing culture with many specialties, but it is very poor that
its own new generations especially highly educated youths are not much aware of and care for it.
Some tribal communities are trying to keep their own socio-cultural values but they have not
succeeded till date. A large number of tirbals people of in this area want change in their life, so
they are ignoring their own cultural values. It is true that they want change but they are not
aggressive about it, and so have made no advance. They are only following other non tribal
communities for a new life style. We can say that the process of “Sanskirtization” (accepting other
cultures) is still going on in these communities. A maximum number of tribal people are trying to
accept others culture by leaving their own old culture. There are many religious missionaries
working for the religious conversion of tribes in this region.

Nutritional Health Status among Tribes

A healthy body is an achievement and a source of pride for an individual. Health is due to
good food and good food is meant nutritious food and balanced diet. Nutrition is a science, which
deals with the entire process of growth, maintenance and repair of the living body as related to the
intake of food. Food requirements measured in term of calories, vitamin and minerals. Each
constituent has a specific part to play in human body (Upadhyay, 1985).The health and nutrition
problems of the vast tribal population of India were as varied as the tribal groups themselves who
presented a bewildering diversity and variety in their socio-economic, socio-cultural and ecological
settings (Kshatriya, 2009). Initially the country faced two major nutritional problems; first was the
threat of famine and acute starvation due to low agricultural production and lack of appropriate
food distribution system and the other was chronic energy deficiency because of low dietary intake
mainly due to poverty and low purchasing power (Kumari and Shau, 2009).

Food is the only source of nutrition to become healthy. It is one of the most vital necessities
of life from prenatal stage to extreme old age. It is prerequisite of nutrition which yields heat and
energy for building up of new tissues and for repairing the tissues as well as for the regulation of
the metabolic process. Nutrition involved various functions of the body. Nutrients are components
of food that are needed by the body in adequate amounts in order to grow, reproduce and lead a
normal healthy life (Shukla & Rastogic 1999). Consumption of balanced food is the indication of
good health therefore; it is necessary to understand the situation regarding food, nutrition and
health among tribal population. In Most tribal areas, the food availability and pattern of
consumption depend on either local or natural resource. Food habits of human developed on the
basis of experience and survival through successive generation. Men have learned from their
ancestors how to grow or collect food, what food are to be eaten without cooking or after cooking.

The food requirement of the tribes of Hazaribag district is met through agricultural
substances and forest produces. The food of the tribes is very simple and natural. Almost each
food item is eaten either roasted or boiled. Their daily diet consists of cereals, and some vegetables.
Their food consists of mostly rice, maize, millet, kodo, Gundali and Mahua. They are non-
vegetarian by nature and consume pork, sheep, mutton, cattle those who died of natural death,
chicken, duck, snail, union, pole, shakes, frog and some kinds of birds and wild animals such as
deer, titir, pandki (dove) & fish & eggs etc. Handia (Rice beer) forms an essential component not

3
only for the tribes of Hazaribag district but almost all tribal communities of the Jharkhand and
other state.

Good health depends on balanced diet. The diet of the tribal people of Hazaribag district is
not at all satisfactory from nutritional point of view. We all know that nutrition is the acute
problem of the tribes of our country (Sahu, 1989; Basu, 1993; Sharma, 1994; Basin, 2005; Gosh &
Mailk, 2009).The nutritional status of the people is being recognized as an important indicator of
national development globally. Nutrition is considered both an input in to as well as an out put of
the development process. A well nourished healthy work force is a pre condition for successful
economic and social development. Nutritional status of tribes of Hazaribag district is very poor.
The diets of the people do not contain all essential nutrients. The worst condition has been seen
among the Birhor tribe of Hazaribag (Sahu, 1989, 1995).

Poverty is the main cause of malnutrition among the tribal people. Some time they have to
remain without food. They are not well acquainted about the proper and balance diet, so they eat
anything without considering the required amount of nutrients. Their foods have good amount of
carbohydrates but lacks proteins and other nutrients. Only rice is not enough to nourish the body.
There is a close association between nutrition and availability of food. The unavailability of food as
well as poor economy is responsible for the malnutrition of the tribal people.

Alcoholism is another major cause for poor nourishment of tribal because huge amount is
spoiled in purchasing the wine. Adequate nutrition can be achieved by the consumption of the right
food in proper amount and correct proportions. Diet should not be taken just to make life possible
but to live a healthy and active life. Diet should be taken according to the work load of the people.
It should also be taken consideration on age, sex and physiological condition.

The nutritional status of tribal pregnant women’s directly influenced their reproductive
performance. It is also crucial to an infant's chances of survival and to its subsequent growth and
development. It was observed that among most of the tribal groups the staple diet was rice or minor
millets. Birds, fish and other meat products were also consumed by these tribes occasionally. Diet
of not a single tribal in the different region of Jharkhand can be said to be fully satisfactory (Shau,
1989, 1995 and Upadhyay, 2005). Tribal diet is generally deficient in Calcium, Vitamin A,
Vitamin C, riboflavin and animal protein. Studies carried out at the National Institute of Nutrition
(1971) and Planning Commission of India (Sixth Five Year Plan, Government of India) reported
high protein calorie malnutrition along the rice-eating belts.

The daily food intake of the tribes of study area has been shown in table -1 and the balanced
diet for adult man and woman in different work condition as recommended by ICMR has been
found that the winter season is comparatively better season for the tribes in consumption of food,
but very pitiable situation has been seen as recommended by the Indian council of Medical research
(Table -2). Their diets lack in average recommended calories, fat and vitamins requirements among
nutritional disorders an Anemia, Kwashiorkor, Marasmus, Night blindness etc. are found very
common among them.

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 Table –1
Mean Daily Consumption (in grams) of food by the tribes in the three seasons

Food Winter Summer Rainy

Rice 320 230 230
Wheat 50 100 100
Maize 100 125 125
Pulses 40 40 40
Vegetables 150 110 110
Roots and Tubers 150 150 150
Fruits 40 30 30
Meat, Fish, egg 60 50 50
Fats & Oil 15 10 10
Beverages 150 160 160

Table –2
Balance diet for adult (Man & Woman)

Food Sedentary Work Moderate Work (gm) Heavy Work (gm)

item (gm)
Man Women Man Women Man Women
Cereals 460 410 520 440 670 575
Pulses 40 40 50 45 60 50
Leafy 40 100 40 100 40 100
vegetables
Other 60 40 70 40 80 50
vegetables
Roots & 50 50 60 50 80 60
tubers
Milk 150 100 200 150 250 200
Oil & Fat 40 20 45 20 65 40
Sugar 30 20 30 20 5 40
Source: Recommended Dietary Intakes for Indian, 1984, ICMR.

Awareness about Development Programme among Tribes

The socio-economic and health condition of tribal population are worse in this state. Tribal
development is mainly done by the government. The rural development department runs various
programmes to reduce poverty, to generate employment and to improve health facilities. There are
several tribal upliftment programmes as Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Samprn
Gram Rozgay Yojna (SGRY), Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojna (SGRY, Stream II), Inder Awaas
Yojna, Pradhanmantri Gramodoya Yojana (PMGY), watershed Programmes under DPAP/IWDP,
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), M.P. Local Area Development Scheme

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(MPLADS), TAAGE-TED-PDS (TPD’S), Annapurna Scheme, Antyodya Anya Yojana, Mukhya
Mantri Gram setu Yojna (MMGSY), MLA scheme, Mukhya Mantri Dal Bhat Yojana
(MMDBY),Janani Shishu Shurakhsha Kyarkaram (JSSK), Mother and Child Traking System,
Rastriya Swasthya Bima Yajana, NationalRularh Health Mission,etc. are carried out by the state
Govt. and Central Govt. and other development Agencies including NGOs.
These tribal communities especially Women gave more attention to child welfare and child
development programmes rather than mother care or family planning programmes. This may be
because of their inherent maternal instinct and protectiveness towards their children.

Role of Anthropology:-
Tribal societies are said to be very close, conservative and traditional. They have strong
faith in their own belief, customs, rituals, patterns of behaviors and ways of doing things. Many
health problems are deeply rooted in their myths, taboos and beliefs. In this context anthropological
approach appears to be very useful for the tribals. The role of anthropologists is of much
importance as they have knowledge about the life and culture and needs of the tribe in their eco-
system, in other words anthropologist are culture experts (Green, 1986). Anthropologist reveals
those social cultural facts, which are barrier of development (Prakash & Shau, 2009).

Anthropological approach is different from other approaches to solve the problem of the
tribal people (Shau, 1995). It is more suitable for any action oriented programme including health
development. Thus, it has been recognized that role of anthropologists is crucial because of their
regional characteristic. The anthropologists try to solve the problems in the following manner:-
1. Generating relevant information from various sources.
2. Generating alternative perspectives.
3. Generating suggestion based on self need and cultural value of the people.

Conclusion:-
In Spatial and cultural consideration India tribal population is at widely different stages of
social as well as economic development. In the changing socio-economic scenario the tribal are
also being drawn into the main stream of development. Tribal has been shown to possess many
food related taboos and disease preventive and health promotive belives (Kushum and Lavanya,
2002). Further, several research works have pointed out that their nutritional and health satatus is
not satisfactory (Vidhayathri, 1969; Basu, 1993; Shau, 1989, 1995; Basin, 2005; & other etc).

From the above discussion, it is clear that the tribes of Hazaribag district generally consume
most of the food which is available near their habitat and in local market. The average quantity of
food consumed by them is deficient in all food items. It is adversely affected the health and
nutritional status of the tribes of Hazaribag.

Poverty and Alcoholism is the main cause of malnutrition among the tribal people in this
region. Diet is a vital determinant of health and nutritional status. The food habits of
individuals/families/communities very according to socio-economic factors, regional customs and
traditions. Rice dominated the cereals intakes. The staple food consumed by all the tribes was rice,

6
corn and a few minor millets. The poor nutritional status of tribal women directly influences their
reproductive performance and their infant survival, growth and development.

Good nutrition is a requirement throughout life and is vital to tribal peoples in terms of their
health and work. Education of nutrition of and awareness is required at all levels starting from
policy makers to the grass root level functionaries and the public. Major steps should be taken to
improve the health and nutritional status of the tribes of Hazaribag district. Women and child
development programs should be implemented on adolescent girl from below poverty line families.
National Health Policy and Integrated Nutrition and Health Programmed (INHP) have been
launched respectively in 1983 and 1997 for improvement of health condition.

A nthropological approaches in different from other approaches to solve the problem

of the tribal people. The anthropologist bring to development their field perspective and intimacy
with people that permits complete view of their perceptions, needs, motivation and lives
(Chaudhary,2009). Each and every tribal people should know about the recommended diet for
leading healthy and prosperous life.

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