Mukta Gundi
Areas of Interest & Expertise
- Public Health
- Adolescent Health
- Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Social Determinants of Health
- Health Communication
- Mental Health
- Mixed Methods Research
Biography
Mukta is a public health researcher interested in exploring how social conditions influence health. She is especially interested in understanding how social and gender inequalities intersect to impact adolescents’ health indicators.
Most recently, Mukta worked as a technical specialist with Population Council, New Delhi. She co-led baseline data collection for a community-based evaluation for a programme aimed at skilling in-school and out-of-school adolescent girls to reduce the incidence of child marriage in Rajasthan.
Her research work included contributing to an evidence synthesis of experimental studies from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa that were aimed at delaying marriage, reducing teenage pregnancies, and improving labour force participation among adolescent girls and young women. She also co-authored research briefs, analysed data, designed research tools, and supervised data collection.
Mukta earned her doctoral degree in Public Health from Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IIT Gandhinagar) in 2020. Her doctoral research focused on understanding the social determinants of menstrual health among adolescents across urban, rural and tribal settings in Nashik district, Maharashtra.
Her doctoral study on menstrual health included both adolescent girls as well as boys as she explored how gender itself acts as a social determinant to influence adolescents’ knowledge, beliefs, and communication regarding menstruation using a mixed-methods approach. Prior to her doctoral journey, she worked with IIT Gandhinagar as a Research Associate.
She completed her master’s degree in Public Health from Indiana University Bloomington in 2013 and her bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik in 2008. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she worked at Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH), Gadchiroli as a fellow.
She looks forward to expanding her work on school climate and its impact on various adolescent health indicators.
Besides work, she loves Indian classical dance and enjoys reading Marathi literature.
Courses
Programme Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation
To get a conceptual understanding the context, assumptions, and overall framework/political economy of public health.
Critical Perspectives on Mental Health
Explore the notions of mental health and well-being.
Publications
Journal Articles
- Gundi, M., & Subramanyam, M. A. (2019). Menstrual health communication among Indian adolescents: A mixed-methods study. PLOS ONE, 14(10), e0223923. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223923
- Gundi, M., & Subramanyam, M.A. (2020). Curious eyes and awkward smiles: Menstruation and adolescent boys in India. Journal of adolescence, 85 (1), 80 – 95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2020.09.013
- Gundi, M., & Subramanyam, M.A. (2020). Gender as a social determinant of menstrual health: A mixed methods study among Indian adolescent girls and boys. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.04.20167924
- Dayal, R., & Gundi, M. (2022). Assessment of the quality of sexual and reproductive health services delivered to adolescents at Ujala clinics: A qualitative study in Rajasthan, India. PloS one, 17(1), e0261757. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261757
- Zahra, F., Austrian, K., Gundi, M., Psaki, S., & Ngo, T. (2021). Drivers of marriage and health outcomes among adolescent girls and young women: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Journal of Adolescent Health, 69(6), S31 – S38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.09.014
- Kumar, S., Gundi, M., Atre, S., Bich Ngoc, L., Nguyen, T.T., & Rammohan, A. (2022). Alcohol consumption among adults in Vietnam: Prevalence, patterns, and its determinants. Journal of Substance Use, 1 – 9. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4114363
Working Paper
- Gundi M. & Dayal, R. (2022). [Manuscript in preparation]. The role of educational interventions in avoiding early marriage, delaying pregnancy and promoting transition to work among adolescents and young women in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa: Findings from an evidence synthesis.
Policy Briefs
- Gundi, M., K.G. Santhya, N. Haberland, A. J. F. Zavier and S. Rampal. (2020). The increasing toll of mental health issues among adolescents and youth in Bihar. Population Council. https://www.projectudaya.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Mental-Health-Brief_Bihar.pdf
- Gundi, M., Santhya, K.G., Haberland, N. A., Zavier, J. F., & Rampal, S. (2020). The increasing toll of mental health issues among adolescents and youth in Uttar Pradesh. Population Council. https://www.projectudaya.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Mental-Health-Brief_U.P.pdf
Reports
- Samanta, T., Jolad, S., Gundi, M., & Subramanyam, M. (2015). Ahmedabad District Human Development Report. Government of Gujarat, India. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/in/3ef99763f49b2f3b2148c1a89493cf6bdbcb6595ed687dde7f9556a5f6c617db.pdf
- Kumar, S., Subramanyam, M., Atre, S. & Gundi, M. (2015): Unrecorded alcohol in India: Results of a population survey in five states. International Centre for Alcohol Policy, USA. http://iardwebprod.azurewebsites.net/getattachment/fdd90791-41cb-4bd3-98f0-555fbf9818f8/unrecorded-alcohol-in-india.pdf
Newspaper Articles
- Gundi, M. (2022, February 22). शहरातील अदृश्य गरिबी. Maharashtra Times. https://maharashtratimes.com/editorial/article/invisible-poverty-in-the-city/articleshow/89736746.cms
- Atre, S. & Gundi, M. (2020, March 16). The message needs to be clear: Coronavirus has no face and no race. The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/the-message-needs-to-be-clear-coronavirus-has-no-face-and-no-race-6316821/
- Gundi, M. & Atre, S. (2017). Arogyam jansampada. Loksatta Marathi Daily. [year-long biweekly column on global public health concerns and interventions]
Online Articles
- Gundi, M. (2017, August 12). First day of period leaves are a great first step. But offices need to become more period-friendly. Scroll. https://scroll.in/pulse/846959/first-day-of-period-leaves-are-a-great-first-step-but-offices-need-to-become-more-period-friendly
- Samanta T. & Gundi M. (2018, February 28). Padman, Patriarchy and the Poor Man’s Innovation. Kafila. https://kafila.online/2018/02/28/padman-patriarchy-and-the-poor-mans-innovation-tannishta-samantha-and-mukta-gundi/
Interview
- Gundi, M. (personal communication, March 24, 2019). Broadening understanding about menstruation: Talk openly to both girls and boys. The Logical Indian. https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/awareness/world-menstruation-day