A Study of Anganwadies from Parabhani City

Abstract

Presently, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) represents one of newlinethe world s largest programmes for women and child welfare. Many of the evaluation newlinestudies might have conducted on ICDS, but less focus was given to assess the newlineknowledge and training needs of Anganwadi Workers who are actually the main newlineresource person. The research investigation on A study of Anganwadies from newlineParbhani City was undertaken in Parbhani district of Maharashtra state. A total of newline600 anganwadi workers were selected by random sampling technique from Parbhani newlinecity. The data was collected by structured questionnaire. The information regarding newlinesocio-economic status of anganwadi workers and children, anthropometric newlinemeasurements of anganwadi children, ICDS facilities provided to the beneficiaries, newlinethe scientific awareness level of anganwadi workers, problems faced by them, newlinesuggestions by anganwadi workers, etc. was collected. A subsample of 20 anganwadis newlinewas also selected for assessment of nutritional status of Anganwadi children by newlineanthropometric measurements. From the each selected anganwadi 20 children were newlineselected for assessment of nutritional status. newlineMajority of the AWWs were middle aged, studied upto secondary school (10 newlineth std), belonging to middle income group, married and possessing small and nuclear newlinefamilies. Near about one third of the Anganwadi workers were having 10 15 years newlinework experience. More than three fourth of the Anganwadi workers possessed newlinemedium level of knowledge. Out of different aspects of ICDS, majority of the AWWs newlinehad thorough knowledge about the aspects namely informal pre school education newline(95.33 %) followed by immunization (94.25 %) and nutrition and health education newline(75.38 %). newlineMajority number of the Anganwadi workers have completed two trainings i.e. newlineone basic and one refresher (44.67%). Near about same number of them have newlinecompleted only one training i.e. basic (44%). Many of them required medium training newlineneeds score. Majority of the Angawadi workers expressed that they very much needed newlinetraining on