Parental Nutrition Education and the Nutritional Status of School-Going Children in India: A Narrative Review of Rural-Urban Disparities (2014–2024)

Abstract

Malnutrition among school-going children in India has long been a public health concern, characterized by pronounced rural–urban disparities and a dual burden of undernutrition and overweight. This review provides a critical synthesis of evidence on the nutritional status of school-age children and examines the role of parental nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and feeding practices in shaping children’s dietary behaviors and nutritional outcomes. Structured searches of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, along with reports from national and international agencies, were conducted to identify peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024. The analysis indicates that rates of stunting and underweight remain higher among rural children, whereas urban children are increasingly exposed to poor-quality diets and overweight associated with nutritional transition. Parental nutrition education is positively associated with improved dietary diversity and modest improvements in selected anthropometric indicators across settings. The review recommends integrating systematic parental nutrition education into national programs such as PM-POSHAN and POSHAN Abhiyaan to strengthen family-based strategies, reduce rural– urban disparities, and enhance the overall effectiveness of child nutrition interventions.