Chamarajanagar District, Karnataka · Est. 2023

Chiguru

The first leaves tell the whole tree's story.

One of India's first large-scale prospective birth cohort studies among Adivasi communities, examining how early-life exposures shape the growth and development of indigenous children in southern Karnataka.

Soliga · Jenukuruba · Bettakuruba 2,730+ enrolled 2023–2027 DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance (India Alliance) funded
Collaborate with us Read the Protocol ↗
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Why this cohort matters

Health inequity begins
at birth

The Adivasi health gap

Adivasi communities — India's indigenous forest-dwelling peoples — carry a disproportionate burden of malnutrition and developmental disadvantage. In Chamarajanagar district, the southernmost district in Karnataka, three communities (Soliga, Jenukuruba, and Bettakuruba) live in and around legally protected forest areas and have historically faced displacement, restricted access to healthcare, and under-representation in public health research.

Chamarajanagar ranks 21st among 31 Karnataka districts on the Human Development Index, yet district-level averages consistently mask the far worse health outcomes of the Adivasi population living within it.

Chiguru is one of India's first prospective Adivasi birth cohort studies, examining the early childhood development of Adivasi children. It addresses a critical evidence gap at the intersection of indigenous health and early childhood development.

What makes Chiguru unique

Chiguru is one of India's first large-scale Adivasi birth cohorts. It applies the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DoHaD) framework to understand how parental substance use — tobacco and alcohol — interacts with malnutrition, stress, and environmental exposures to shape child growth and early developmental outcomes from birth to age three.

By following infants from the first months of life through age three, the cohort generates evidence that is not just novel scientifically, but actionable for the policies and programmes that determine how Adivasi children are served by the State.

46%
of Adivasi women of reproductive age are underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m²) compared with 18% of all women in Chamarajanagar (NFHS-5)
Methods & Protocol

Study design

A prospective longitudinal cohort following newborns and their families across Adivasi hamlets in Chamarajanagar district.

Study typeProspective longitudinal birth cohort
LocationChamarajanagar district, Karnataka, India
CommunitiesSoliga, Jenukuruba, Bettakuruba
Study periodMarch 2023 – March 2027 (current grant cycle) · Funding being sought to continue for decades
Enrolment beganMay 2023
Enrolment ageInfants aged 7–120 days, together with their mother, father and other household members
Target sample650 newborns + their families
Enrolled (2025)2,730 individuals including 821 postnatal women
Primary outcomeChild growth: stunting (HAZ), wasting (WHZ), and underweight (WAZ) per WHO child growth standards
Secondary outcomeEarly childhood development: gross motor, fine motor, language, social domains (Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool)
FrameworkDevelopmental Origins of Health and Disease (DoHaD)
Protocol Paper · Under Review
Chiguru Adivasi Birth Cohort Study: A Protocol for Examining the Effects of Parental Substance Use on Child Development in Southern Indian Adivasi Communities
Read full protocol at Wellcome Open Research ↗

The grant from the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance concludes in 2027. The research team is actively seeking financial support to sustain the Chiguru Adivasi Birth Cohort as an extended generational study; the principal objective is to longitudinally assess the children of this community and their families over several decades, aiming to establish it as one of the few indigenous cohorts with substantial longitudinal depth.

Domains measured

Data collected at three levels — individual, household, and settlement.

Toddler (1–3 yrs)
Mother (postnatal)
Father
Other household
Household
Settlement
Individual
Toddler
1–3 years
AnthropometryImmunizationFeeding practicesDevelopmental milestones (MDAT)
Mother
Postnatal
Perinatal & deliveryAnthropometryBlood pressureMental health (EPDS, GAD-7)Social supportSubstance use24-hr dietary recall
Biomarkers
HaemoglobinCotinineGamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR)Ferritin
Father
AnthropometryBlood pressureSubstance useMental health (PHQ-9)Chronic conditions24-hr dietary recall
Biomarkers
HaemoglobinCotinineGamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)
Other household members
AnthropometryBlood pressureSubstance use
Biomarkers
HaemoglobinCotinineGamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)
Household
Household
Wealth indexDietary diversityIndoor air pollutionOutdoor air pollutionHousehold composition
Settlement
Settlement
Healthcare accessGeographic remotenessUrbanisation

Participant identification

Pregnant women are mapped through district reproductive and child health officer lists, in partnership with the Zilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddhi Sangha (ZBGAS) — the indigenous welfare association of Soliga people — and local ASHAs. A study information video is provided in Kannada (Soliga dialect) before informed consent is sought from all household members.

Early evidence

Key findings

Preliminary results from the first wave of Chiguru data reveal striking health disparities within Adivasi communities that district-level averages in existing national surveys can mask.

The headline disparity
46%
of Adivasi women of reproductive age are underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²) — more than double the district figure for all women.
Adivasi womenChiguru cohort · 2025
46%
All women, ChamarajanagarNFHS-5 district data
18%
2,730
Adivasi individuals enrolled, including 1,136 women of reproductive age
Chiguru cohort enrolment, 2025
80%
of enrolled women of reproductive age are postnatal women — the primary cohort participants
Chiguru cohort, 2025
More findings coming

Child growth outcomes and developmental milestone data from follow-up waves will be published here as analyses are completed.

The people behind Chiguru

Our team

Chiguru is driven by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians, and field staff with deep roots in the Chamarajanagar community.

Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
TS
Dr. Tanya Seshadri
Study lead
Community Health Practitioner & Researcher; Adjunct Faculty, IPH Bengaluru; Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra, BR Hills
PS
Prof. Prashanth N. Srinivas
Principal investigator
Director, Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
YC
Dr. Yogish Channa Basappa
Co-investigator and Clinical Research Training Programme fellow (CRTP)
Assistant Professor, Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
RA
Rahul Amruthapuri
Program head, CTRITH
Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
SS
Santosh Sogal
Clinical Research Training Programme fellow (CRTP)
Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
Indian Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru (PHFI)
SS
Dr. Suresh S. Shapeti
Co-principal investigator
Special Officer & Director (I/C), Indian Institute of Public Health Bengaluru, PHFI
PŚ
Ms. Prafulla Shriyan
Clinical Research Training Programme fellow (CRTP)
Indian Institute of Public Health, Public Health Foundation of India, Bengaluru
MK
Maithili Karthik
PhD scholar
Public Health Foundation of India / Indian Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
Field Operations & Community Care · IPH Bengaluru

A dedicated field team ensures quality data collection, participant engagement, and integration of ancillary care across Adivasi hamlets in Chamarajanagar district.

DK
Deepak Kumaraswamy
Clinical care coordinator
IPH, Bengaluru
VB
Vinutha B
Field supervisor
IPH, Bengaluru
JM
Jadeswamy M
Field supervisor-cum-community health nurse
IPH, Bengaluru
DU
Dundamma
Field supervisor-cum-community health nurse
IPH, Bengaluru
PA
Padeyappa
Field supervisor-cum-field investigator
IPH, Bengaluru
PM
Parvathi M
Field supervisor-cum-field investigator
IPH, Bengaluru
RR
Ratnamma R
Community health nurse
IPH, Bengaluru
SY
Samy
Community health nurse
IPH, Bengaluru
CP
Chaitra P
Field investigator
IPH, Bengaluru
AS
Asha S
Field investigator
IPH, Bengaluru
IM
Inchara M
Field investigator
IPH, Bengaluru
MD
Muthuswamy D
Field investigator
IPH, Bengaluru
Institutions & Collaborators

Partner institutions

Chiguru is a collaborative effort across leading public health institutions, community organisations, and government bodies in India, united by a shared commitment to Adivasi health equity.

Implementation Partners
Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru
Lead institution and home of CTRITH — the Centre for Training, Research and Innovation in Tribal Health — under whose mandate Chiguru was established.
iphbengaluru.res.in ↗
Indian Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru (PHFI)
Research and academic partner within the Public Health Foundation of India network, contributing epidemiological and implementation science expertise.
phfi.org/bengaluru ↗
JSS Medical College, Mysore
Clinical partner institution providing medical expertise and infrastructure for Chiguru's health assessment components in southern Karnataka.
Details coming soon
DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance
Primary funder of CTRITH, the institutional home of Chiguru. The India Alliance is an independent public charity supporting health and biomedical research in India.
indiaalliance.org ↗
Community Partners
ZBGAS
Zilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddhi Sangha
A community-based organisation (CBO) representing the Soliga, Jenukuruba, and Bettakuruba peoples of Chamarajanagar district. ZBGAS serves as the primary community gatekeeper for Chiguru, facilitating trust-building, participant identification, and culturally appropriate engagement across Adivasi hamlets.
Community-based organisation
Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra
Based in BR Hills, provides ancillary care and laboratory support for Chiguru. Home base of Study Lead Dr. Tanya Seshadri. Delivers culturally-grounded health services to Adivasi communities.
vgkk.in ↗
KA-GOV
Government of Karnataka
Departments of Health & Family Welfare, Tribal Affairs, and Forests. Provide operational approvals, regulatory oversight, and integration with state health systems serving Adivasi populations.
Government partner
Training Partners
St. John's Research Institute, Bengaluru
Anthropometry and phlebotomy training, certification, and quality assurance for Chiguru's health assessment teams.
Learn more
Sangath
Provides training and technical support for the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT), enabling rigorous measurement of early childhood development outcomes.
Learn more
Knowledge Partners
CDLR
PHFI Centre for Developmental and Lifecourse Research
Based in Bengaluru, the CDLR shares Chiguru's DoHaD framework and hosts the MAASTHI urban birth cohort — enabling cross-cohort comparisons between urban and Adivasi populations across Karnataka.
phfi.org ↗
KBCC
Karnataka Birth Cohorts Consortium
A consortium connecting birth cohort studies across Karnataka to enable data harmonisation, methodological alignment, and collaborative research on early childhood determinants of health.
Website coming soon
Funding & Support

Our funder

Chiguru is fully funded by the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance, whose sustained support has made this work possible at a scale and depth previously absent in Adivasi health research.

DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance
The India Alliance is an independent public charity in India that funds health and biomedical research. Chiguru operates under the Centre for Training, Research and Innovation in Tribal Health (CTRITH), established through an India Alliance grant at the Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru. The current grant cycle concludes in 2027, and the team is actively seeking partners to sustain the cohort as a multi-decade generational study.
Grant: CTRITH — Centre for Training, Research and Innovation in Tribal Health ↗
Work with us

Collaborate with Chiguru

We welcome collaborations with researchers, institutions, and funders who share our commitment to understanding and improving the health of India's most marginalised children.

🔬

Research collaboration

Joint sub-studies, nested research, or methodological partnerships using Chiguru infrastructure and data.

📊

Data access

Proposals for access to Chiguru datasets for independent analysis or cross-cohort comparisons.

🎓

Student placements & fellowships

Opportunities for PhD, postdoc, and MPH students to work within the Chiguru field team.

🏛️

Policy partnerships

Engagement with government and non-government stakeholders to translate Chiguru findings into action for Adivasi communities.

💰

Funding partnerships

Support to sustain and scale the cohort beyond its current grant cycle, including bridge funding and expansion to new communities.

To initiate a collaboration or express interest in supporting Chiguru, please get in touch with our team.

Contact form — coming soon. In the meantime, please reach us at: chiguru@iphbengaluru.res.in
Research outputs

Publications & resources

2026
Research Article · Wellcome Open Research
Dietary Diversity, Iron Status, and Anaemia Among Adivasi Women: Insights from the Chiguru Cohort in Chamarajanagar District, Southern Karnataka
Maithili Karthik, Jai Prabhakar Sosale Chandrashekaraswamy, Prafulla Shriyan, Suresh Shapeti, Prashanth Thankachan, Tanya Seshadri, Giridhara R. Babu.
Wellcome Open Research, 2026
2025
Protocol · Wellcome Open Research · Under Review
Chiguru Adivasi Birth Cohort Study: A Protocol for Examining the Effects of Parental Substance Use on Child Development in Southern Indian Adivasi Communities
Prafulla Shriyan(*), Yogish Channa Basappa(*), Giridhara R Babu, Tanya Seshadri, Maithili Karthik, Upendra Bhojani, Deepa Bhat, Suresh Siddappa Shapeti, Prashanth N Srinivas (*equal contribution)
Wellcome Open Research, 2025
2025
Policy Brief · Frontiers in Global Women's Health
Addressing Anaemia in Adivasi Women of Reproductive Age: Urgent Policy Imperatives for Karnataka
Prafulla Shriyan, Rahul Amruthapuri, Chandrashekar Kottagi, Prashanth N. Srinivas, Giridhara R. Babu, Tanya Seshadri, Pooja Aggarwal, Deepa Bhat, Suresh S. Shapeti.
Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 2025
Further publications coming

Child growth and developmental milestone outcomes from follow-up waves will be listed here as they are published.

Updates

News & updates

2025 · Enrolment milestone
2,730 participants enrolled in the Chiguru cohort
The Chiguru team has reached a significant enrolment milestone with 2,730 Adivasi individuals enrolled, including 821 postnatal women and their family members across hamlets in Chamarajanagar district.
2025 · Publication
Policy brief published on anaemia in Adivasi women
Drawing on early Chiguru findings, a policy brief in Frontiers in Global Women's Health calls for tailored, multisectoral interventions addressing the disproportionate anaemia burden in Adivasi women in Karnataka.
Coming soon
Next update
Quarterly updates on cohort progress, publications, and events will appear here.