Assessment of Malnutrition using Z-Scores and Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure among Street Children in Delhi

Abstract

BackgroundStreet children are poverty-stricken and have insufficient money to meet their daily nutritional requirements. They do not have a proper place to sleep and defecate as a result they sleep at traffic signals, religious places and footpaths. This exposes them to pollution, dirt and other pathogens. ObjectiveThis study aimed to measure the nutritional status of street children in Delhi using Z-Scores and Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF). MethodsAnthropometric measurements are direct methods of measuring the nutritional status of humans. Anthropometric indicators such as underweight (weight-for-age), stunting (height-for-age) and BMI/wasting (weight-for-height) are used to measure the nutritional status of street children. Z-scores and CIAF are calculated for Street Children based on the WHO 2007 reference. ResultsAccording to Z Scores, stunting (56%) is the most common anthropometric failure among street children followed by underweight (31%) and wasting (19%). According to the CIAF, 63 percent of street children are malnourished, where stunting (37%) is the highest single burden of anthropometric failure, followed by wasting (3%) and underweight (1%); children suffering from the double burden of anthropometric failure are 9 percent, and children suffering from the triple burden of anthropometric failure (i.e., wasting, stunting, and underweight) are 13 percent. ConclusionHigh share of stunting expose the quality of food and suggests prolong nutrition deficiency among street children. The Z-score or conventional measures of anthropometry underestimate the total burden of malnutrition among street children while CIAF provide an estimation of children with single-burden, double-burden and triple-burden malnutrition or total burden of malnutrition.