Population covered by anganwadi workers in rural areas is?

HPSSC - 2015

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: HPSSC - 2015

Explanation

The standard population unit for establishing an Anganwadi Centre (AWC) in a rural village is approximately 1000 people.
This norm aligns with the broader public health strategy in India, which also provisions one Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) for a similar population size in plain areas.
While revised ICDS guidelines specify a range of 400-800 people for an AWC, the 1000 population benchmark is widely used for planning and is the most appropriate answer among the given single-value options.
The Anganwadi Worker is the cornerstone of the ICDS program, delivering services like supplementary nutrition, immunization coordination, health check-ups, and pre-school education to this population.

Option A: A population of 400 is the upper limit for establishing a Mini-Anganwadi Centre, not a full-fledged Anganwadi Centre in a typical rural area. It is also the lower limit of the official range (400-800) for a standard AWC.
Option B: A population of 500 is not the standard norm for an Anganwadi Worker in a rural (plains) area.
Option C: While 700 falls within the official ICDS population range of 400-800 for an AWC, it is not the standard benchmark figure used for broad planning or as a standalone answer.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Population norms for Anganwadi Workers under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding population norms is critical for nurses in community health to plan and implement public health programs, ensuring equitable distribution of resources and services.
The AWW is a key partner for the community health nurse (ANM) at the sub-centre level. They collaborate on Health and Nutrition Days, immunization drives, and tracking high-risk pregnancies.
Accurate knowledge of these norms helps in resource allocation, monitoring service delivery gaps, and advocating for the establishment of new centres where needed.

How to Approach the Question

Step 1: Identify the core question. The question asks for a specific factual number: the population covered by an Anganwadi worker in a rural area.
Step 2: Recall knowledge about India's public health infrastructure, specifically the ICDS scheme and the roles of community health workers.
Step 3: Differentiate between the roles and coverage norms of an Anganwadi Worker (AWW), ASHA, and ANM, as these are often confused.
Step 4: Evaluate the given options. The options are single, specific numbers. Even if official guidelines provide a range, exam questions often test the most commonly accepted benchmark.
Step 5: Select the option that represents the standard population unit for a village-level health worker in a rural (plains) setting, which is 1000 for both AWW and ASHA.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Population norms for Anganwadi Workers under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme.
Stem keywords: Anganwadi workers, population covered, rural areas
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) pp. 95-97, 121-123