Prevalence of Malnutrition and its Impact on Academic Performance of School going Children from Rural Area of Rohtak, Haryana

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is one of serious public health problem affecting children in developing countries like India. Adequate nutrition during childhood is vital for proper physical and mental development. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of malnutrition with scholastic performance of school going children of rural Rohtak. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 392 school children of age 5 to 19 years of village Makrauli in Rohtak, Haryana, India. Malnutrition was assessed using anthropometric measurements and school records were used to analyse scholastic performance. Values of height, weight and BMI were recorded and converted into respective Z scores using WHO ANTHRO PLUS software. Z scores were categorized into 2SD according to WHO 2007 Z score charts. Result: A total of 392 children across 2 private schools and 1 government school were evaluated. In our study 27.5% children were found to be underweight. Stunting was present in 66 children (16.8%). Wasting was found 23.7%. Significant association between malnutrition and academic performance was observed. Conclusion: Present study established a positive relationship between nutritional status and academic performance. Malnutrition is a major limiting factor for overall development of children. How to cite this article:Verma S, Kumar N, Shiba, Choudhary P, Singhania K, Kumar M. Prevalence of Malnutrition and its Impact on Academic Performance of School going Children from Rural Area of Rohtak, Haryana. Epidem Int 2019; 4(4): 16-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2455.7048.201919