Assessment of Nutritional Status Among Children and Adolescents of Juang Tribe in Keonjhar District of Odisha, India

Abstract

Assessment of the nutritional status is a major public health concern in India. Thinness (low BMI-for-age) is an important anthropometric measure of undernutrition. In the present scenario, tribal children were facing undernutrition due to lack of income, inadequate food intake, and suffering with various diseases. The objectives of the present study were to determine age groups and sex specific prevalence of thinness among children and adolescents of the Juang tribe of Keonjhar district in Odisha, India. The present cross-sectional study was carried out among 237 (106 male and 131 female) Juang children and adolescents aged 1–17 years. The prevalence of thinness was assessed by using proposed age-sex specific international reference. We used standard statistical technique for comparing the BMI-for-age z-score (BMIZ) means across the educational categories. The overall prevalence among the studied children was 15.61% and educational category wise prevalence of thinness among preschool, school going children, and adolescents were 11.94%, 19.05% and 15.12% respectively. Present scenarios of nutritional health status among Juang children and adolescents have secured a moderate position or have relatively improved. Continuity of the different intervention programs and government undertaking health policies may make a stable situation for good health among Juang children.