AbstractThe present paper is based on nutritional status of Munda women, those are living in forested zone as indigenous people specifically defined as “a politically underprivileged group, who share a similar ethnic identity different from the majority people, and who have been an ethnic entity in the locality before the present culture or society came into existence”.The physical condition of the body in those respects influenced by the diet and the levels of nutrients in the body and the ability of those levels to maintain normal metabolic integrity is considered as nutritional status. In this connection the present study is carried out in Shyamakhunta block of Mayurbhanj district, to assess the nutritional status of 428 married women from four sample villages, particularly between age group 15–49 and special emphasis has given to bring clear nutritional status of pregnant and non-pregnant women, general adequacy is assessed by measuring weight and height; the result is commonly expressed as the body mass index, the ratio of weight (kg) to height2 (m). Status with respect to individual food pattern has measured to determine the nutritional status of women for specific metabolic responses. The objectives of the study are framed as (i) to determine the nutritional status of pregnant and non-pregnant Munda women with the BMI status (ii) to examine whether there exists any difference in the nutritional status of pregnant and non-pregnant tribal women due to the level of income of their family; (iii) To examine whether there exists any difference in the health and nutritional status of Pregnant and Non-pregnant tribal women due to the level of education, i.e., illiterate and literate; (iv) It aims to examine the inter-relationship between the food habit and calorie intake of the pregnant and non-pregnant women in the study area.
Keywords: Tribe; Munda Women; Income; Nutritional Status; BMI.