NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND ITS DETERMINANTS AMONG UNDER-5 CHILDREN ATTENDING ANGANWADI CENTRES OF RURAL FIELD PRACTICE AREA OF A MEDICAL COLLEGE OF BENGALURU CITY

Abstract

Introduction: Malnutrition is one of the most important public health problems throughout the world, particularly in developing countries, and has undesirable effects on the mental and physical health of children. Despite enormous economic progress achieved in the past two to three decades, malnutrition among children in both urban and rural India still claims many lives. Hence this study was undertaken to assess nutritional status and its determinants among under-5 children attending anganwadi centres of rural eld practice area of our Medical College. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 285 children under 5 years of age attending anganwadi centres of rural eld practice area of our Medical College. Information regarding socio-demographic variables, infant feeding practices and immunization was obtained from mothers/guardians of children. Anthropometric measurements, i.e., weight and height were taken following standard techniques. Children were categorized on the basis of their weight-for-age, heightfor-age and weight-for-height as per WHO International Growth Standards 2006 generated for boys and girls aged 0 to 60 months, and below 2 SD of the reference median on any of these indices were considered as underweight, stunted and wasted respectively. Results: The overall prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was found to be 42.5%, 38.6% and 28.8% respectively. Signicant association was observed between the prevalence of undernutrition and age, gender, type of family, literacy status of mother, birth order, socioeconomic status, infant feeding practices and immunization status. Conclusion: The prevalence of undernutrition was high in the study population thus highlighting yet again that undernutrition continues to be a public health burden