Malnutrition is a persistent challenge in Bihar. 43%of children are stunted, and 63% of women of reproductive age suffer from anemia. The fisheries sector continues to expand and holds significant economic potential. Yet, per capita fish consumption remains low at just 9.6 kg per year. Most young children under the age of five do not consume fish daily. This gap in dietary practices exacerbates nutritional deficiencies during crucial developmental years.
The nutrition component in the JEEViKA Special Purpose Vehicle for Agriculture Transformation (JVSPAT) Fisheries program strives to boost household fish consumption. JVSPAT uses the Communication for Development (C4D) framework and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to implement social and behavior change communication (SBCC). These actions improve fish consumption in households. The C4D framework emphasizes participatory communication processes that engage the community. These processes promote ownership and sustainable change. TPB, on the other hand, highlights how behavior is influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. These frameworks allow us to design comprehensive and context-specific interventions to address malnutrition effectively.
Enhance nutrition literacy: We raise awareness about nutritious diets and the benefits of fish through the distribution of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials in Hindi. Our simple and relatable messages help communities understand how fish support better health and balanced diets. Relatable IEC material builds nutrition literacy, improves attitudes toward fish consumption, and increases people’s ability to choose healthier foods confidently.
Empower women: We empower women to improve household nutrition through workshops and capacity-building sessions. As women play a pivotal role in household dietary decisions, we address the subjective norms components of TPB. We involve women in decision-making processes to build a supportive environment that encourages dietary change.
Promote healthy fish recipes: We engaged the community in experiential learning through interactive activities such as cooking demonstrations and puppet shows. These activities introduced varieties of fish and safe preparation techniques, particularly for young children. We demonstrated how fish-based diets can be practical and healthy for families. Our goal is to change people’s attitudes toward fish consumption and encourage more people to include fish in their daily meals. These interventions are suited to local contexts and preferences, which makes them more likely to be adopted and sustained.
The interventions have notably increased fish consumption among targeted households of 120 community ponds across 28 districts in Bihar. Cooking demonstrations effectively promoted the use of small fish varieties like mola, darkina, and pothia. These varieties are rich in protein and essential micronutrients. Preliminary impact assessments indicate a significant rise in nutritional awareness and dietary changes within the community, as more households now include fish in their daily meals.
MSC trained women from local communities to become nutrition champions. Their efforts helped extend the program’s reach to more than 100,000 fish farmer families and their local communities. This sustainable model ensures ongoing education and behavior change within the community and contributes to improved nutritional outcomes for women and children in Bihar.
