Epidemiological trends and burden of nutritional deficiencies among infants in India: Insights from the Global Burden of Disease study, 1990–2021

Background Nutritional deficiencies among children remain a critical contributor to the disease burden in India. Therefore, this study analyzes the annual trends and burden of nutritional deficiencies and forecasts the prevalence of these deficiencies among infants in India. Materials and Methods We analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study to assess temporal changes in the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies among infants in India from 1990 to 2021 using joinpoint regression analysis and the ARIMA model was applied for future trends. Additionally, subnational level performance of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) data were extracted from the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog dashboard to understand the association between nutritional deficiencies and SDGs, illustrated through a heat map created using MS Excel. Results From 1990 to 2021, the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies among infants in India significantly declined from 798.69 (95% UI: 765.85 to 830.22) to 683.54 (95% UI: 664.02 to 702.93) per 1,000 live births, highlighted by an annual percentage change of -14.42. However, significant regional disparities in nutritional deficiencies persist across India. Notably, in 2021, Bihar [763.04 (95% UI: 723.24 to 799.46)], Jharkhand [756.8 (95% UI: 729.3 to 787.24)], and Uttar Pradesh [726.57 (95% UI: 697.24 to 758.62)] had the highest prevalence of nutritional deficiencies, while Mizoram [408.87 (95% UI: 367.44 to 455.12)] reported the lowest. Conclusion Nutritional deficiencies among infants in India remain a major public health challenge, with regional disparities suggesting a need to enhance primary healthcare services and strengthen nutritional support.