Thinness among preschool children residing in rural area: A cross-sectional study
Introduction: The legacy of malnutrition especially among preschool children is a huge obstacle to overall national development. India is home to more than one-third of the world′s under-nourished children. While there is global acceptance that body mass index (BMI) should be used for assessment of...
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of the Scientific Society |
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| Online Access: | http://www.jscisociety.com/article.asp?issn=0974-5009;year=2015;volume=42;issue=2;spage=78;epage=81;aulast=Nayak |
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| author | Rakesh K Nayak Padmaja R Walvekar Maheshwar D Mallapur |
| author_facet | Rakesh K Nayak Padmaja R Walvekar Maheshwar D Mallapur |
| author_sort | Rakesh K Nayak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: The legacy of malnutrition especially among preschool children is a huge obstacle to overall national development. India is home to more than one-third of the world′s under-nourished children. While there is global acceptance that body mass index (BMI) should be used for assessment of obesity/adiposity in children, there has not been a similar consensus regarding use of BMI for assessment of under-nutrition in children. Materials and Methods: The present study was a community-based cross-sectional study carried out in a primary health center between January and December 2011. Study population comprised of 697 children aged between 2 and 5 years. Weight (kg) and height (cm) measurements were taken on each subject, and BMI was computed. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Cole′s age- and sex-specific cut-off points of BMI. One-way ANOVA (F-test) was performed to test for age differences in means of weight, height, and BMI using SPSS statistical package. Results: A total of 339 boys and 358 females were studied. Result showed that age-combined prevalence of under-nutrition (Grades I, II, and III combined) among boys and girls was 63.4% and 58.6% respectively with an overall prevalence of 61.7%. There were significant mean differences between ages among boys in weight (F = 4.160; P < 0.001) and height (F = 6.502; P < 0.001). However, no significant mean differences between ages for BMI (F = 1.098; P = 0.295). Similar findings were seen among girls where in significant differences were observed in weight (F = 3.125, P < 0.001) and height (F = 6.895; P < 0.001) but not with BMI (F = 1.091; P = 0.311). Conclusion: Our study provided evidence that these children were under acute and chronic nutritional stress in the form of thinness. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b545c75a0b44ff19be2bf20fbad4b63 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0974-5009 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:59:46Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of the Scientific Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b545c75a0b44ff19be2bf20fbad4b632022-12-22T00:49:10ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of the Scientific Society0974-50092015-01-01422788110.4103/0974-5009.157034Thinness among preschool children residing in rural area: A cross-sectional studyRakesh K NayakPadmaja R WalvekarMaheshwar D MallapurIntroduction: The legacy of malnutrition especially among preschool children is a huge obstacle to overall national development. India is home to more than one-third of the world′s under-nourished children. While there is global acceptance that body mass index (BMI) should be used for assessment of obesity/adiposity in children, there has not been a similar consensus regarding use of BMI for assessment of under-nutrition in children. Materials and Methods: The present study was a community-based cross-sectional study carried out in a primary health center between January and December 2011. Study population comprised of 697 children aged between 2 and 5 years. Weight (kg) and height (cm) measurements were taken on each subject, and BMI was computed. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Cole′s age- and sex-specific cut-off points of BMI. One-way ANOVA (F-test) was performed to test for age differences in means of weight, height, and BMI using SPSS statistical package. Results: A total of 339 boys and 358 females were studied. Result showed that age-combined prevalence of under-nutrition (Grades I, II, and III combined) among boys and girls was 63.4% and 58.6% respectively with an overall prevalence of 61.7%. There were significant mean differences between ages among boys in weight (F = 4.160; P < 0.001) and height (F = 6.502; P < 0.001). However, no significant mean differences between ages for BMI (F = 1.098; P = 0.295). Similar findings were seen among girls where in significant differences were observed in weight (F = 3.125, P < 0.001) and height (F = 6.895; P < 0.001) but not with BMI (F = 1.091; P = 0.311). Conclusion: Our study provided evidence that these children were under acute and chronic nutritional stress in the form of thinness.http://www.jscisociety.com/article.asp?issn=0974-5009;year=2015;volume=42;issue=2;spage=78;epage=81;aulast=NayakBody mass indexpreschool childrenthinness |
| spellingShingle | Rakesh K Nayak Padmaja R Walvekar Maheshwar D Mallapur Thinness among preschool children residing in rural area: A cross-sectional study Journal of the Scientific Society Body mass index preschool children thinness |
| title | Thinness among preschool children residing in rural area: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Thinness among preschool children residing in rural area: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Thinness among preschool children residing in rural area: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thinness among preschool children residing in rural area: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Thinness among preschool children residing in rural area: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | thinness among preschool children residing in rural area a cross sectional study |
| topic | Body mass index preschool children thinness |
| url | http://www.jscisociety.com/article.asp?issn=0974-5009;year=2015;volume=42;issue=2;spage=78;epage=81;aulast=Nayak |
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