Assessment of Nutritional Status: A Case of Tribal Children in Assam, Northeast India

Abstract

Introduction: Thinness is a major underlying problem among children and adolescents in the developing countries including India. The present study was carried out to determine the prevalence of nutritional status among the Sonowal Kachari children aged 6-18 years of Dibrugarh district of Assam, Northeast India. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional data on height and weight measurements were collected among 1343 (670 boys, 673 girls) children belonging to Sonowal Kachari tribal ethnic group using multi-stage stratified sampling procedure. The Body Mass Index {BMI=weight (kg)/height2 (m2)} was calculated. The new international cut-off points of Cole et al. were used to classify the magnitude of thinness. Results: The overall mean BMI was found to be significantly higher among girls than the boys (p<0.01). The overall prevalence of thinness was observed to be 25.99% (28.08% boys, 23.92% girls) (p>0.05). The prevalence of thinness was generally higher in the early age (6-11 years), but thereafter decreased with age in both sexes. Conclusion: The results of the present study clearly indicate that the nutritional status of these children is unsatisfactory. Nutritional intervention in terms of a comprehensive supplementary balanced diet and micronutrient rich or protective foods should be introduced to ameliorate the nutritional status.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jnps.v33i1.7404 J Nepal Paediatr Soc. 2013;33(1):1-7.

A Study on Gender Disparity in Nutritional Status Among School Going Children in a Rural Community of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

“…However, in rural areas, the male child had higher rates of underweight and stunting as compared to the female child. This is similar to other studies as reported by Singh and Mondal (2013), and Basu et. al (2014).…”

Thinness as Major Underlying Problem Among Adolescents of Northeast India

“…Moreover, the newly proposed references 16 was derived using the mul centre data of the United States, Great Britain, Hong Kong and the Netherlands including data from Brazil (developing country). Several studies have already assessed the prevalence of thinness u lizing this newly proposed reference 16 among Indian children and adolescents 13,29,30,31,35,36,37,38,39 .…”

“…[13][14] In the present study, the boys were found to be a more suff erer than the girl counterparts (p>0.05). It has also been observed that boys were more suff erer than girls in thinness among tribal and non-tribal children and adolescents residing in rural and sub-urban regions in India 7,13,14,31,35,37,38,39 . The comparison with the present study showed that the prevalence of overall thinness was found lower than the children and adolescents belonging to Bengalee 35 .…”

“…Several studies have already advocated that the prevalence of undernutri on is be er assessed as thinness rather than was ng 6,16 . Available data suggested that the problem of thinness is persistent transversely among diff erent Indian popula ons with consistent propor ons especially among Indian children and adolescents 8,9,31,35,36,37,38,39 . The undernutri on during childhood and adolescence have not only delayed growth a ainment but aff ected overall the linear mechanism of growth processes 2,20 .…”

“…The above classifi ca ons are similar to the adult CED classifi ca on as proposed by WHO 6 . This reference popula on and cut-off points have already been u lized to assess such prevalence among Indian children and adolescents 13,29,30,31 .…”