From Plate to Policy: Addressing Nutritional Deficits in Indian Diets through a PLS-SEM Approach

Abstract

Evidence-based, predictive policy frameworks are necessary, rather than generalized guidelines, due to the ongoing crisis in India related to nutrition-related inadequacies. This research takes advantage of PLS-SEM to investigate the parameters that drive nutrition-related deficiencies within diet; a purposive sampling approach has been used with 68 Indian Registered Dietetic Practitioners and Nutritionists to inform the theoretical constructs and measurement scales developed in the study. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for all of the constructs in the study were established and returned a range of between 0.778 and 0.801 across the nine constructs invested in the study, which exceeds the accepted threshold of 0.70. Discriminant validity of constructs was established through the use of HTMT ratios, which yielded construct pair values, significantly below the conservative threshold of 0.85, with the highest value being between Constructs R3 and R2 (0.352). The AVE based diagonal (Fornell-Larcker) also confirmed convergent validity. Latent determinants of nutritional deficiencies, including socioeconomic structure, deficits in dietary awareness and barriers to access, are revealed through structural estimates. The unique contribution of this study is the application of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) combined with a policy translation framework for translating latent variable path coefficients into actionable dietary policy levers that are calibrated according to the heterogeneity of the Indian demographic. The findings highlight that an effective nutritional policy must be predictive and targeted to multiple levels of influence, addressing not only food availability but also equity and dietary awareness.