Nearly 1 in 2 Indian adults have poor quality of life: Study

Nearly one out of two Indian adults (46.2 per cent) have a poor quality of life, according to a survey released on Friday.

The survey by Danone India, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), included 2,762 adults from eight Indian cities viz Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Chennai, Indore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Patna.

It was based on the mean percent scores of the four domains of Quality of Life (QoL) -- physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment.

The findings showed that more women (50.4 per cent) were found to have poor QoL than men(42 per cent).

Kolkata recorded the highest percentage of adults (65 per cent) with poor QoL score, followed by Chennai (49.8 per cent), Delhi (48.5 per cent), Patna (46.2 per cent), Hyderabad (44.4 per cent), Lucknow (40 per cent) and Indore (39.2 per cent).

Mumbai had the highest percentage of adults (68 per cent) recording a good quality of life.

The survey is part of the Protein Week 2021, celebrated annually between July 24-30 to raise awareness about the importance of protein -- a macronutrient which is integral to lead a healthy and active life.

While malnutrition has always been a pressing issue in India and more prevalent in children, the survey found even adults are low on nutrition.

Around 91 per cent of Indian adults do not meet their everyday protein requirement. A huge gap also existed for the intake of 10 micronutrients that are important for immune function and overall health.

"Around 60 per cent of women in India are anaemic and one out of eight children that are born in India are underweight. The cycle of under nutrition, thus, becomes an intergenerational cycle. Nutrition, with wider lens in India is a very big issue, and it plays a big role in health and health plays a big role in well being, and well being determines what I think about my quality of life," Vinita Bali, Chairperson, CII National Committee on Nutrition, told IANS.

"Physical health is one of the factors which one can influence with right nutrition choices and staying active. Although more than 90 per cent of the respondents were aware about the role of physical health and nutrition only 9 per cent of respondents were getting adequate protein in their diet, which is alarming," added Himanshu Bakshi, Managing Director, Danone India, in a statement.

It is imperative to maintain a healthy lifestyle through appropriate diet and adequate physical activity. It is critical that people are aware that a balanced and nutritious diet with emphasis on protein and other essential nutrients can contribute to a healthy immune system, while maintaining good strength and mobility, he said.