Knowledge of Nutrition and Hygiene among Rural Women of Assam in India

The study was carried out on 270 randomly selected rural women of 3 districts from the state of Assam (India), namely Tinsukia, Nagaon and Barpeta, to find the existing knowledge of respondents on nutrition and hygiene. The knowledge on nutrition and hygiene was measured in terms of knowledge statements known and unknown by the respondents regarding nutrition and hygiene. It is found that 100 percent of respondents did not know that the first and main symptom of a child suffering from Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) is loss of weight according to age and that the Colostrums is rich in Fat, but majority of the respondents (63.33%) knew mother’s milk was easily available, pure and safe as it has the correct temperature. It is very interesting to note that only 8.15 percent of respondents knew that rinsing utensils with hot water before using them is necessary.