ISSN: 2249-7196

IJMRR/March 2016/ Volume 6/Issue 3/Article No-9/409-415

Sarvana K et. al., / International Journal of Management Research & Review

A STUDY ON NUTRITION STATUS AMONG WOMEN PLANTATION WORKERS

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CHIKMAGALURU
Saravana K*1, Dr. Lokesha M.U2
1

Research Scholar, Dept. of Studies and Research in Social Work, Tumkur University,
Karnataka, India.

Asst. Prof, Dept. of Studies and Research in Social Work, Tumkur University, Karnataka,
India.

ABSTRACT
Chikkamagaluru is a part of the Western Ghats are the source of rivers like Tunga and
Bhadra, Where the area of around 85,465 hectares with Arabica coffee cultivating. The
labourers working in plantation majority are women. There is scarcity of reliable information
on health and nutritional status among Coffee plantation women labourer. During a period of
higher growth and a reasonable pace of reduction in poverty, malnutrition especially irondeficiency anaemia has increased among women from disadvantaged social and economic
groups located in coffee plantation. This paper describes health problems raised on the base
of nutritional status of women plantation labourers in Chikmagaluru. Researcher selected four
different coffee plantations randomly from four Taluks of Chikmagluru Districts. Sociodemographic and life style characteristics of participants were recorded. Health problems and
nutritional status were assessed through anthropometric assessment. While the time of
statistical analysis researcher applied percentage prevalence, Chi-square test wherever
needed. Majority of plantation women labourers work manually in plantation among them
most of are oral tobacco user. The present working paper found that they are facing skin
problems due to pesticide respiratory infections, including tuberculosis. The Major
noncommunicable diseases like hypertension, stroke were emerging in the community and
were associated with modifiable risk factors like alcohol and tobacco use.
Keywords: Plantation, women labourers, nutrition, public health.
INTRODUCTION
This study analyses the nutrition condition of women who are working in coffee plantation.
Majority workers working in plantation are women, who constitute about 50% of the total
work force (RojierVerschoor, 1996). Women are especially active in plucking seeds, which
involves intensive labour. Nevertheless, the main reason plantations employ such a high
proportion of women in plucking, is to keep the wage bill low. According to Plantation Act
(1971) makes it mandatory for every plantation having 50 or more women workers, including
those employed by contractors, to maintain a crche for the children of the workers. The
room used for this purpose should be clean and well ventilated, and a trained attendant should
be put in charge. But only 37 per cent of the plantation units are providing crche facilities to
*Corresponding Author

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Sarvana K et. al., / International Journal of Management Research & Review

their women workers in India among its 15 per cent of the coffee plantations (Labour
bureau).
Proper food and good nutrition are essential for survival, physical growth, mental
development, performance and productivity, health and well being from the earliest stages of
fetal development, at birth, through infancy, childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood and
old age (WHO, 2000), Womens health plays significant role in a households economic well
being, consequently the poor health condition of a women will be less productive in the
labour force. Even as malnutrition is prevalent among women begins infancy and continues
right through their life time (Chatterjee M, Lambert J, 1990). The majority of women
plantation worker are migrated from various part of India to sustain their livelihood option.
The climate, food consuming pattern and life style in plantation territory affects on nutrition
condition of women plantation worker. The environment on the plantation is hardly
encouraging to perceive a respectable education or acquiring the critical skills needed in more
specialized sectors of the economy. Studies have shown that women in poor rural households
attain lower levels of education (Economic Planning Unit, 2003); this fact shows that
plantation women workers become vulnerable due to poverty. The discriminatory practices
associated with the rigid social norms and the excessive demands made on the time and
energies of women join hands with usual determinants in blighting womens nutrition
(Osmania and Bhargava, 1998). Lack of education and social exclusion make women weaker
part of society, this factor affects on nutrition quality of plantation women worker (Sulochana
Nair, 2000). Since most plantations provide housing for their workers, this is a further
encouragement for women to continue living on the plantation but these houses are neglected
from basic amenities like light, sanitation and appropriate drinking water. Nowadays many
plantations have started employing migrant workers to carry out this hazardous job. The
number of migrant workers, mainly men, employed in the agriculture sector have increased,
all things being equal, women are nevertheless more affected than men.Migration has become
a key component in the livelihood strategies of an increasing number of households across
the developing world and remittances have expanded dramatically in the last decade. This has
come at a time when an increased emphasis has been placed on reducing malnutrition to
achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets. While this is the case, there has been
little attention on the interface between migration and nutrition even though migration can
influence nutrition through a number of channels. The objective of this special issue is to
present state-of-the-art analyses of the link between migration and nutrition in developing
countries. In this paper, an overview of the conceptual and empirical issues in identifying the
link between migration and nutrition are considered. Further, the results from seven country
case studies are synthesized and policy implications are drawn.
RATIONAL OF THE STUDY
Nutrition is fundamental pillar of human life, health and development across the entire life
span. There are many studies conducted by various experts on migrating and migrated
womens nutrition status. But there is a lack of identifying microscopic nutrition status of
women labourers engaged in plantation work. In plantation there is no adequate housing
facility for labourers even though some plantations providing line houses as per plantation

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Sarvana K et. al., / International Journal of Management Research & Review

Labour Act but which does not have sophisticated toilet room facility. There is no proper
arrangement of pure drinking water to plantation labourers they depend on small flowing
water resources which is available within the plantation itself but this source mostly are
contaminated by feticides sprayed on plantation. Most of plantations in Chikmagaluru are
located in hill station where there is no avail of basic amenities. Over the following passages
the researcher tries to identify the actual nutritional status of plantation women worker and
the required intervention needed to eradicate malnutrition.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study on Nutrition status of plantation workers was carried out at 4 different parts
(Mallenahally, Balehonnur, Indavara, Thogarihankal) of Chikmagaluru. APurposive
sampling technique was used to select the sample for the study, there were 300 registered
Plantation in Chikmagaluru,among them the researcher had selected 4 plantations. Selecting
25 samples from each plantation the researcher derived 10samples for the study. The aim of
the study is to asses the nutrition status of women plantation labourer and to ascertain the life
style of women plantation labourers. Self structured personal interview schedules were used
to elicit information regarding age, gender, caste, education, family size, income, work
experience and working environment. The nutritional status was assessed by calculating
BMI (Body Mass Index) using height and weight. And also researcher adopted a self
prepared life style and dietary assessment tool to asses cause for nutritional status of women
worker in Plantation. And Researcher excluded the lactating and pregnant women as there
may be bias introduced by weight gain not related to nutritional status. The researcher didnt
use any Bio-chemical assessment of women worker due to non availability of day hours. The
collected data were analysed statistically through simple percentage analyses.
RESULTS
The present study aimed at studying the nutrition status of plantation women labourer. Table
1 presents the percentage distribution of socio-economic condition of plantation women
laoburer. A small amount of 28 per centwomen werebetween the age group of 21-26 and
above 45 years. Little more than half of 52 per cent respondents belong to the Scheduled
Castes, further from the study it was found that 66 per cent of women are married. Majority
of women working in Plantation are Migrated from Tamilnadu. A small amount of 28 per
cent of women are illiterate followed by 26 percent of women are informal literates. 28 per
cent of women are engaged in plucking coffee seeds type of employment. A majority of 82
per cent of women plantation workers household income permonth is 11,000 to 15,000
rupees.

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Table 1: Percentage distribution of Plantation women labourers Socio-economical

profile
Variables
Malenahally
Age
15-20
2.00%
21-26
8.00%
27-35
2.00%
36-45
6.00%
>46
7.00%
Caste
SC
14.00%
ST
2.00%
OBC
General
3.00%
Other
6.00%
Marital Status
Married
18.00%
Single
3.00%
Widow
3.00%
Separated
1.00%
Divorced
Migrated From
North Karnataka
7.00%
Tamilnadu
13.00%
Andra Pradesh or 2.00%
Telangana
Kerala
3.00%
Education Qualification
Illiterate
7.00%
Literate informal
7.00%
Primary
2.00%
Middle
5.00%
Secondary
4.00%
Type of Employment
Spraying Pesticides
9.00%

Balehonnur

Indavara

Thogarihankal

Total

5.00%
6.00%
2.00%
5.00%
7.00%

2.00%
8.00%
2.00%
6.00%
7.00%

5.00%
6.00%
2.00%
5.00%
7.00%

14.00%
28.00%
8.00%
22.00%
28.00%

12.00%
7.00%
6.00%

14.00%
2.00%

12.00%
7.00%
6.00%

52.00%
18.00%
12.00%
6.00%
12.00%

18.00%
3.00%
3.00%
1.00%

15.00%
5.00%
4.00%
1.00%

66.00%
16.00%
6.00%
10.00%
2.00%

4.00%
11.00%
1.00%

7.00%
13.00%
2.00%

4.00%
11.00%
1.00%

22.00%
48.00%
6.00%

9.00%

3.00%

9.00%

24.00%

7.00%
6.00%
4.00%
4.00%
4.00%

7.00%
7.00%
2.00%
5.00%
4.00%

7.00%
6.00%
4.00%
4.00%
4.00%

28.00%
26.00%
12.00%
18.00%
16.00%

6.00%

9.00%

6.00%

30.00%

Plucking Coffee seeds

5.00%

14.00%

5.00%

14.00%

38.00%

Furnishing
Plant
All of Above

2.00%

3.00%

2.00%

3.00%

10.00%

2.00%
25.00%

9.00%
25.00%

2.00%
25.00%

22.00%
100.00%

1.00%
7.00%
17.00%
25.00%

1.00%
24.00%
25.00%

1.00%
7.00%
17.00%
25.00%

2.00%
16.00%
82.00%
100.00%

13.00%
12.00%
25.00%

12.00%
13.00%
25.00%

13.00%
12.00%
25.00%

50.00%
50.00%
100.00%

Coffee

9.00%
25.00%
Monthly income of the Family
<5000
6-10000
1.00%
11000-15000
24.00%
25.00%
Type of Family
Nuclear
12.00%
Joint
13.00%
25.00%

3.00%
6.00%
15.00%
5.00%
4.00%
1.00%

Table 2 represents the life style assessment of plantation women labourer major proposition
of household in plantation sector. More than half of the respondents do not have toilet
facility. More than three fourth (70 per cent) women plantation worker skips their meal even
in morning, midday or in night. Majority of women labourers depends on natural water
resources.
Table 3 gives nutrional status among women plantation labourer in terms, salt iodization,
anemia and underweight status and their disadvantage. A considerable amount of 43 %
labourers use Cereal and millets 4 to 5 times a week. A majority of labourers use green leaf
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Sarvana K et. al., / International Journal of Management Research & Review

only twice in week. A small amount of 14 % women worker do not intake fruits. The affects
of notional intake was visible on the womens nutritional status, as more than half of the
plantation worker do not maintain proper dietary required.
Table 2: Percentage distribution of Life Style Assessment of plantation women
labourers
Variables
Toilet
Facility
Sleeping
Hours in a
Day
Meal Skip
in a Day
Eat in a
Day
Source of
Drinking
Water

Yes
No
<5Hrs
6-7Hrs
8Hrs
>8Hrs
Yes
No
<2
3
4
Public Tap
Gravity Water
Bore Well
Filtered Water

Malenahally
16.00%
9.00%
5.00%
14.00%
6.00%
20.00%
5.00%
3.00%
19.00%
3.00%
4.00%
9.00%
9.00%
3.00%

Balehonnur
8.00%
17.00%
6.00%
14.00%
3.00%
2.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
11.00%
9.00%
4.00%
10.00%
7.00%
4.00%

Indavara
16.00%
9.00%
5.00%
14.00%
6.00%
20.00%
5.00%
3.00%
19.00%
3.00%
4.00%
9.00%
9.00%
3.00%

Thogarihankal
8.00%
17.00%
6.00%
14.00%
3.00%
2.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
11.00%
9.00%
4.00%
10.00%
7.00%
4.00%

Total
48.00%
52.00%
22.00%
56.00%
18.00%
4.00%
70.00%
30.00%
16.00%
60.00%
24.00%
16.00%
38.00%
32.00%
14.00%

Table 3: Dietary Assessment of plantation women labourers

Variables
Malenahally
cereals and millets
Not use
2.00%
Daily
7.10%
Twice in a week
8.20%
4-5 times in week
8.20%
6 Days in week
Green leaf
Not use
7.00%
Daily
6.00%
Twice in a week
7.00%
Thrice in a week
4-5 times in week
5.00%
Roots and Tuber vegetables
Not use
2.00%
Daily
7.00%
Twice in a week
10.00%
4-5 times in week
6.00%
Fruits
Not use
7.00%
Daily
5.00%
Twice in a week
7.00%
4-5 times in week
6.00%
Milk and Milk
Daily
25.00%
Egg
Not use
4.00%
Daily
9.00%
Twice in a week
5.00%
Thrice in a week
4-5 times in week
7.00%
Animal food
Not use
1.00%
Daily
Twice in a week
21.00%
4-5 times in week
3.00%
oil for your food
Daily
25.00%

Balehonnur

Indiavara

Thogarihankal

Total

3.10%
3.10%
4.10%
13.30%
1.00%

2.00%
7.10%
8.20%
8.20%

3.10%
3.10%
4.10%
13.30%
1.00%

10.20%
20.40%
24.50%
42.90%
2.00%

2.00%
5.00%
11.00%
1.00%
6.00%

7.00%
6.00%
7.00%
5.00%

2.00%
5.00%
11.00%
1.00%
6.00%

18.00%
22.00%
36.00%
2.00%
22.00%

8.00%
8.00%
9.00%

2.00%
7.00%
10.00%
6.00%

8.00%
8.00%
9.00%

4.00%
30.00%
36.00%
30.00%

6.00%
8.00%
11.00%

7.00%
5.00%
7.00%
6.00%

6.00%
8.00%
11.00%

14.00%
22.00%
30.00%
34.00%

25.00%

25.00%

25.00%

100.00%

3.00%
8.00%
4.00%
1.00%
9.00%

4.00%
9.00%
5.00%

3.00%
8.00%
4.00%
1.00%
9.00%

14.00%
34.00%
18.00%
2.00%
32.00%

1.00%
3.00%
17.00%
4.00%

1.00%
21.00%
3.00%

1.00%
3.00%
17.00%
4.00%

4.00%
6.00%
76.00%
14.00%

25.00%

25.00%

25.00%

100.00%

7.00%

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Table 4 indicates the Body mass index of plantation women labourer. In this more than half
of women labourers were from low body mass index (Body Mass Index18.5 kg/m 2)and 48.2
per cent of women labourers had a severe body mass index with respect to their age.
Table 4: Body mass index (BMI) Assessment of plantation women labourers
Variables
Low body
mass index for Age
Yes
No
Total
Severe body mass
index for Age
Yes
No
Total

Malenahally

Balehonnur

Indavara

Thogarihankal

Total

18.20%
15.90%
34.10%

18.20%
9.10%
27.30%

20.50%
9.10%
29.50%

6.80%
2.30%
9.10%

63.60%
36.40%
100.00%

8.90%
8.90%
17.90%

12.50%
10.70%
23.20%

10.70%
10.70%
21.40%

16.10%
21.40%
37.50%

48.20%
51.80%
100.00%

DISCUSSION
The health condition of plantation workers are neglected due to lack of care provided by the
employer (Labour bureau), this study examined the disadvantaged condition of plantation
women in Chikmagaluru, in terms of socio-economic condition of women labourers shows
that Scheduled Caste women are majorly engaging in plantation work, other important
findings in this study is plantation women workers were not properly perceiving their
education highest qualification among them is intermediate education. The poor literacy
made plantation women worker to engage in lower cadre work profile. Malnutrition as
expected is the most common health problem among women (Kanikar T, 1998), analysis of
notional status of plantation women workers food consumption pattern shows poor. Some
important and specific food items are neglected or not available to them. The effect of
nutritional deficiency is significantly higher. Majority of women worker were underweight.
CONCLUSION
Coffee is one major crop in Chikmaglauru, where there are 30,000 labourers (Labour
Department, Chikmagluru) directly and indirectly engaging in plantation work among them
women labourers proposition is high comparatively male. The study finds that the plantation
women worker in chikmaglauru is in vulnerable condition. National rural health mission
(NRHM) programme concentrating on only pregnant and lactating women who are living in
plantation but not occupational disease.
The intervention of Social Workers in plantation fields is required, plantation women worker
suffer not only from nutritional deficiency but also from occupational hazards, thisfact is
neglected on a large scale. TheIntervention of Social Work will facilitate to attain required
benefits from Government prorammes for improving the health status of the affected women.
To achieve holistic development, attention should be given more towards the health of the
plantation women in a realistic manner. Intervention with a target that is appropriate and has
sufficient educational material and techniques and scientific information will help in
contributing to combating the low health modernity status of women.

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