POSHAN District Nutrition Profiles (DNPs) draw on diverse sources of data to compile a set of indicators on the state of nutrition and its cross-sectoral determinants. The profiles are intended to be conversation-starters at the district level and to enable discussions about why undernutrition levels are high, and which factors, at multiple levels, might need to be addressed to improve nutrition. PLEASE NOTE that POSHAN is regularly tracking data sources as they are released and updating the profiles accordingly.

1. 54.8
95.2
39.56
50.56
16.87
96.2
Children aged <5
years underweight
(%)2,4
Children aged <5
years stunted
(%)2,4
Children aged <5
years wasted
(%)2,4
Children aged <6
years anemic (%)3
Chronic energy
deficiency in
women (%)
Mothers with low
birthweight
children (%)
Adults who are
obese in the
district (%)
Lucknow Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
DISTRICT NUTRITION PROFILE
Page 1
THE STATE OF NUTRITION IN LUCKNOW
DISTRICT DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Total Population 4589838
MALE FEMALE
RURALURBAN
SC ST OTHERS
CHANGES OVER TIME
**2002 (DLHS-2) for the district level indicators; no data for comparison of trends
*2002 (DLHS-2) to 2005-06 (NFHS-3)
Uttar Pradesh (2002 to 2005-06)*
(Children aged <5 years)
Lucknow 2002-2011**
(Children aged <5years)
2002 2005-06 2002 No latest data
Underweight 52.1% 39.6% 54.8% No data
Stunting No data 50.6% No data No data
Wasting No data 16.9% No data No data
NO DATA ON
CHILDREN
STUNTED
NO DATA ON
CHILDREN
WASTED
NO DATA ON
WOMEN
UNDERWEIGHT
CHILDREN
UNDERWEIGHT4
54.8%
52.2% 47.8%
20.7% 0.2% 79.1%
66.2% 33.8%
NODATA
NO LATEST DATA AT
THE DISTRICT LEVEL
TO UNDERSTAND
TRENDS IN NUTRITION
NODATA
NODATA
NODATA
NODATA
NODATA
NODATA
NODATA

2. 6.0%
9.9%
52.4%
42.5%
8.8%
60.5%
7.1%
46.9%
56.2%
11.2%
30.3%
11.5%
16.2% 17.4%
58.1%
Early initiation of
breastfeeding
Exclusive
breastfeeding
Children between
6-8 mo who
received any
solid/semi solid
food in the last 24
hours
Children who
achieve minimum
diet diversity
Full immunization
coverage
Children (12-
35mo) who got
vitamin A
supplementation
Acute diarrhoea
in children <2
years in previous
2 weeks
Children <5 years
with diarrhoea
treated to ORS
Women aware of
danger signs of
pneumonia
84.7%
96.7% 96.2%
64.4%
95.8% 97.8%
Women with access
to antenatal care
coverage
Anemia among
pregnant women
Anemia among
adolescent girls
Lucknow Uttarpradesh
Page 2
Child undernutrition is caused by inadequacies in food, health and care for infants and young children, especially in
the first two years of life (immediate causes). Inadequate food, health and care arise from food insecurity, unsanitary
living conditions, low status of women, and poor health care (underlying causes). These are, in turn, caused by social
inequity, economic challenges, poor political will and leadership to address these causes (basic causes). Interventions
to address undernutrition must address these multiple causes of undernutrition and do so in an equitable manner.
IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF UNDERNUTRITION
Areas for immediate action:
Data challenges:
• Outdated data; poor availability of data on key immediate
determinants of undernutrition
• Where data are available, indicator definitions are non-
standardized and often differ from World Health Organization
recommendations
• Poor state of infant and young child feeding (IYCF): low rates of
exclusive breastfeeding and timely initiation of breastfeeding
• Need to improve immunisation rates to cover complete target
population
• Alarming levels of anaemia among pregnant women and
adolescent girls
IMMEDIATE CAUSES
Breastfeeding, nutrient rich foods, and eating routine
Feeding and caregiving practices, parenting stimulation
Low burden of infectious diseases
Optimum fetal and chid nutrition and development
WHAT FACTORS CAUSE UNDERNUTRITION? 7
UNDERLYING CAUSES
Food security: availability, economic access and use of food
Feeding and caregiving resources (maternal, household and
community level)
Access to and use of health services, a safe and hygienic environment
BASIC CAUSES
Knowledge and evidence
Politics and governance
Leadership, capacity and financial resources
Social, economic, political, and environmental context (national and
global)
The most crucial period for child nutrition is
from pre-pregnancy to the second year of life
WHEN TO INTERVENE TO IMPROVE NUTRITION?
NODATA
ADOLESCENT & MATERNAL HEALTH3,6
DISEASE INCIDENCE5,6IMMUNISATION & SUPPLEMENTATION6
INFANT & YOUNG CHILD FEEDING2,5
0
20
40
60
80
100
Percentageofchildstunting(%)
Age of child (in months)
Too late
Window of
opportunity
NODATA
NODATA

3. 45.5%
22.8%
15.2%
3.1%
11.2%
49.1%
23.8%
19.5%
3.7%
29%
Household
share of
expenditure on
food
Household
share of food
expenditure on
cereals
Household
share of food
expenditure on
milk
Household
share of food
expenditure on
eggs/fish/meat
Households in
the district
involved in
agriculture
Food Security8
Page 3
UNDERLYING CAUSES OF UNDERNUTRITION
BASIC CAUSES OF UNDERNUTRITION
Areas for immediate action:
• Very poor availability of data on indicators of women’s status; low standard of living for women is related
to poor health and nutrition outcomes of babies
• Food insecurity, especially diet quality, is a challenge that can hold back improvements in nutrition
Data challenges:
• No district level data available on mothers’ schooling, land ownership or hygiene indicators.
• Difficult to compare indicators of water, sanitation and hygiene over time as census data do not provide data
on child stool disposal or on hand washing
• District domestic product of Lucknow:10
17885.5 (in Rs. Crores)
• Access to services can be improved
but data on access are also poor1,6
(see figure on right)
• Governance and political will to
address nutrition
No Data
State domestic product of Uttar Pradesh :
423261.46 (in Rs. Crores)
30.0%
91.5%
31.1%
92.4%
72.0%
50.8%
83.3%
44.4%
100.0%
74.7%
Births attended by skilled health personnel
Household has access to Anganwadi Worker
Household has access to a Sub Health Centre
Household has access to Primary/Middle School
Access to NREGA
Households availing Bank services
Lucknow Uttar Pradesh
No data
available
NoData
18.2%
32.9%
8.6% 11.3%
Girls married
when <18years
old
Ever married
women/mothers
who completed
primary school
Women who
completed
secondary school
Women's
ownership of
land
Women's
ownership of
livestock
Women's Status6
NoData
NoData
94.0%
62.8%
32.2%
88.6%
31.4%
63.0%
22.97%
Access to
improved
drinking-water
sources
Access to
improved
sanitation
facilities
Open
defecation
Child stool
disposal in a
sanitary manner
Households
who washed
hands with soap
before a meal
Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH)1,2
78.7%
70.8%
29.4%
64.9%
36.8%
Below Poverty
Line households
Households
ownership of
agricultural land
Households in a
permanent house
Access to
electricity
Poverty1,9
68.1%
57.3%
Adult Literacy Rate
(%)
OtherIndicators1
NoData
NoData
NoData
NoData
NoData
NoData
NoData
NoData
NoData

4. This District Nutrition Profile was developed by Shruthi Cyriac for POSHAN. This version, dated July 25,
2014 is a draft intended for use in a district-level workshop in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and will be
revised following workshop discussions.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO IMPROVE NUTRITION IN LUCKNOW?
Source:UNICEFIndia/2010/GrahamCrouch
Possible district-levels actions to support nutrition:
Data sources
1. Census of India 2011, accessed on June 20, 2014, http://censusindia.gov.in/
2. National Family Health Survey-3 dataset
3. District Level Health Survey-2 (2002-04) Nutrition Report, accessed on August 1, 2014, http://www.rchiips.org/PRCH-
2.html
4. District Level Health Survey-2 dataset
5. District Level Health Survey-2 (2002-04) State Report, accessed on August 1, 2014, http://www.rchiips.org/PRCH-2.html
6. District Level Health Survey-3 (2007-08), accessed on August 1, 2014, http://www.rchiips.org/PRCH-3.html
7. The politics of reducing malnutrition: building commitment and accelerating progress. S Gillespie, L Haddad, V Mannar,
P Menon, N Nisbett. Lancet 382 (9891), 552-569
8. National Sample Survey 68th Round
9. Planning commission data, accessed on June 15, 2014, http://planningcommission.nic.in/news/pre_pov2307.pdf
10. Uttar Pradesh Directorate of Economic and Statistics, accessed on June 1, 2014,
http://updes.up.nic.in/STATE%20ACC%20STATISTICS/NDDP%20&%20GDDP/statedomestic(b).htm
11. Annual Health Survey- 2012-13, accessed on May 22, 2014,
http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Vital_Statistics/AHSBulletins/AHS_Bulletin_2012-13_Presentation.pdf