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The World Health Organization considered minimum dietary diversity (MDD) as one of the eight core indicators as a part of feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months. However, there is limited evidence on examining the change in socioeconomic status (SES) related inequality for MDD. Therefore, the present study aims to estimate the extent of SES-related inequality concentration for minimum dietary diversity among children aged 6–23 months. Additionally, factors that contributed to SES-related inequality were estimated in the present study. Data was utilized from the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2005–06 (NFHS-III) and 2015–16 (NFHS-IV). The effective sample size for this study was 14,422 children for NFHS- III and 74,132 children for NFHS- IV. The outcome variable was minimum dietary diversity among children aged 6–23 months. The explanatory variables were divided into three categories: 1. Mother's characteristics 2. Child characteristics, 3. Household characteristics. Descriptive statistics along with binary logistic regression analyses were used to fulfill the study objectives. Additionally, the concentration index was used to measure the extent of inequality that exists in MDD among children. Moreover, decomposition analysis was also used to estimate the factors which contributed to the socioeconomic status-related inequality for MDD among children aged 6–23 months. Overall, the MDD among children aged 6–23 months was 14.2% in 2005–06 which is increased to 20.4% in 2015–16, and it is found lower among children from poor socioeconomic status. The odds for children who received MDD was higher among children from the richest wealth quintile [2005–06 (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 2.54; CI: 2.02,3.18)] and [2015–16 (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.34; CI:1.23,1.47)]. The value of the concentration index decreased from 0.248 in 2005–06 to 0.116 in 2015–16. Mother's educational status contributed about 43.8% in SES-related inequality for MDD in 2005–06 which decreased to 35.5% in 2015–16. Additionally, the wealth index contributed nearly 48.8% in SES-related inequality for MDD in 2005–06 which decreased to 29.9% in 2015–16. Between these two periods, the inequality among poor and non-poor children aged 6–23 months in MDD and factors contributing to MDD has decreased. More community-driven and cost-effective social interventions are needed to meet the MDD intake goal for all children aged between 6–23 months. This implies that the mother's education level alone is not sufficient for MDD among children. Instead, exposure to information may be important given the current nutritional transition in India. The emphasis should be on rigorous awareness and social interventions designed to improve minimum diversified​​ dietary intake among Indian children.​ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated linkages between multiple socio-economic vulnerabilities with infant and child mortality in India and its specific regions. Data from the National Family Health Survey (2015–16) was used for calculating the key-outcome variables, namely infant mortality and child mortality. The effective sample size for the study was 259,627. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were employed to examine three dimensions of vulnerabilities such as education, wealth, and caste on infant and child mortality. Children born to women with multiple-vulnerabilities were more likely to die than those born to non-vulnerable women. Women who were vulnerable in all the three-dimensions were more likely to have their children die as infants than those who were not vulnerable in any dimensions (predicted probabilities; 0.054 vs 0.026). The predicted probability for child mortality was 0.063 for women who were vulnerable and 0.028 for non-vulnerable women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]