RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDHOOD DISEASES AND FOOD AVOIDANCES IN RURAL SOUTH-INDIA

This study examines the selection of foods for children by mothers in rural South India. The mothers' explanations of the reasons for food a voidances were verbally recorded and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods used in cognitive psychology. The results reve aled that the choice of foods considered as suitable for consumption b y the child was governed by concerns related to three major childhood health problems, thokam, mandham & perali, and karpan rather than by t he food categories (for example, the 'hot' and 'cold' foods). The inte rpretations of the health problems were based on the traditional theor ies of Siddha and Ayurvedic medicine prevalent in India. The implicati ons of these findings with respect to child nutrition and nutrition ed ucation are discussed.