Household Food Insufficiency and Child Nutritional Status in Urban Slum, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Introduction: Malnourished children are about 20% in the developing world. Food insecurity is a key risk factor for child malnutrition. Food insuffi ciency, an extreme form of household food insecurity, can aff ect physiological mechanisms that are linked to an individual’s nutritional status. Food-insuffi cient children are also more likely to have poorer health status and to experience a range of negative academic and psychosocial outcomes. Methods: We administered a cross-sectional socioeconomic survey to 354 households in research site, including a validated food insuffi ciency measurement questionnaire, and obtained anthropometric measurements from children aged 12 to 24 months. We used chi-square tests to assess the relationship between household food insuffi ciency and nutritional status of children. Results: Average age of study children was 18 months and standard deviation was (± 3.2 months). Th e status of household food insuffi ciency was 56%. Th e prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 24%, 36% and 8% respectively. Th e household food insuffi ciency was signifi cantly (p<0.05) associated with underweight and stunting but not with wasting (p>0.05). Discussion: Th e study results indicate that food insuffi ciency is associated with stunting and underweight but not with wasting in urban slum of Bangladesh. We also found that child malnutrition is associated with mother’s education, father’s education, monthly family income and people per room.

Nutritional Status of Children Residing In Social Welfare Hostel in Bangalore City.

Background: Health Care needs of children residing in Social Welfare Hostels is of utmost importance as they are in need of optimum health and nutrition care. Methodology: Study Setting: Social Welfare Hostel. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Study Duration: June to September 2013. Study subjects: Children( 7-14yrs of age) residing in the Social Welfare Hostel. Sample Size: A total of 200 children were residing in the hostel and hence the complete enumeration of them were considered for the study (purposive Sampling). Study variables: Socio-Demographic profile, measurement of height, weight, estimation of Hemoglobin percentage by Sahli’s method and clinical examination. Every child was examined physically from head to toe to assess their nutritional deficiencies. Enquiry was made about the health problems and occurrence of any ailment during previous two weeks. Data Collection: Using Semi- structured questionnaire, interview method. Data analysis: SPSS V 20. Results: Out of 200 subjects, 47(35.07%) of the study population were underweight, 71 (35.50%) had stunting and 38 (19%) had wasting. Prevalence of anemia was 47.5%. The common conditions observed were Flurosis (45.5%), skin problems (42.5%), dental caries (31.5%) and Cheilosis (24.5%). Conclu-sion: The nutritional status of children in social welfare hostels are not satisfactory. Periodic Health check up for the children residing in Social Welfare Hostels must be emphasized.

Determinants of Nutritional Status of Under - Five Children - A Cross Sectional Study.

Introduction: Children between one and five years of age constitute 16.5% of the total population whereas mortality in this age group constitutes 40% of the total deaths in the country. Environmental factors like parental education, socio-economic status, sanitation, standard of living, parental attitudes and child rearing practices influence the growth and development of children. Objective: To find the determinants of malnu-trition in children aged 1-5 years. Methods: This study was conducted in a Primary Health Centre area. The study population consisted of children 1-5yrs of age. Sample size calculated was 933. Anthropometric meas-urements, i.e., height, weight of each subject, were taken according to the standard procedures. Children were considered with underweight, stunting and wasting if their weight-for age, height-for-age and weight-for-height z-scores were below -2.0 SD of the WHO standards. EPI INFO statistical package was used for analysis. Results: The present study included 933 (453 males and 480 females) under five children. The prev-alence of wasting, stunting and underweight (< -2 SD) by WHO standards was 23.7%, 38.2% and 37% respec-tively. Type of family, overcrowding, birth weight, duration of exclusive breast feeding and administration of pre-lacteal feeds were found to have an effect on the nutritional status. Literacy of mother also contributed to malnutrition in children. Conclusion: Besides poverty, there are other factors that directly or indirectly affect the nutritional status of children. The prevalence can be reduced using multiple interventional strate-gies.

Nutritional Status and Anaemia with Special Reference to Morphological Classification in Underfive Children.

Nutrition of pre-school children (0-5 years age group) is of paramount importance because the foundation for lifetime health, strength and intellectual vitality is laid during this period. Aims: To assess the nutritional status and hemaoglobin status and morphological classification of anaemia of children below five years of age. Settings and Design : Community based cross-sectional study in children below five years of age from urban slum, Nagpur. Methods and Material : A house-to-house survey was done. By systematic random sampling 434 children below five years of age were included in the study. Every child was subjected to anthropometric measurements using standard technique. Haemoglobin estimation was done by using Sahli’s haemoglobinometer and peripheral smear was prepared. Statistical analysis : Data was analyzed on Epi- Info Software 3.2 version. Chi square test is used to test the significance. Result : 52.23 % were suffering from various grades of malnutrition. 32.18 % children were in grade I, 16.09 % in grade II, 3.46 % in grade III and 0.5 % in grade IV malnutrition. 78.71 children had anaemia (Hb < 11gm/dl). It was observed that 34.9 % children had microcytic and hypochromic anaemia, 19.6 % had dimorphic, 13.7% had normocytic normochromic and 7.5% had macrocytic anaemia. Out of these 2 children had sickle cell disease. A statistically significant association was observed between malnutrition and anaemia. Conclusion : Nutritional rehabilitation centers should be started in the community and linked with health centers to treat less severely affected undernourished children.

Various Anthropometric Methods of Assessment of Nutritional Status in Under Five Children.

Background: For assessment of nutritional status of under five children various anthropometric indices are being used indiscriminately and so the estimated prevalence of malnutrition varies in different methods. Objectives: 1. To determine the prevalence of under nutrition is assessed as per various methods assessment of nutritional status in children under five years of age attending Anganwadi. 2. To compare the common anthropometric measurements in order to find out best suitable method for individual assessment of malnutrition. Materials & Methods: The under-five children attending Anganwadies were selected randomly and each child underwent different anthropometric measurement such as Gomez classification (Weight for age), Wasting (Weight for height), Stunting (Height for age) and mid-arm circumference by Bangle test. Statistical Analysis: Percentage, proportion and discriminant analysis were applied. Results: Total 235 under five children were included in the study. As per Gomez classification 119 (51.14%) children were undernourished. 67 ((28.52%) children were wasted, 116 (49.36%) children were stunted and as per Bangle test 75 (31.91%) children were undernourished. The discriminant analysis of all these methods observed that stunting has the highest proportion of correctly classifying a child into normal or malnourished group. Conclusion: Stunting should be preferred over other methods for assessment of nutritional status of under five children.

Evaluación del estado nutricional en la población menor de 6 años, área de influencia de los ambulatorios urbanos del Distrito Sanitario Barquisimeto: septiembre-noviembre 1989 / Evaluation of nutritional state of population of 6 or less years age, the urban medical center from Sanitary District Barquisimeto: september-november 1989

Con el objeto de indagar cual es el estado nutricional de la población menor de seis años del área de influencia de los ambulatorios urbanos: Cabudare, La Carucieña, Daniel Camejo Acosta, El Ujano, Pueblo Nuevo, Cerritos Blancos, Dr. Rafael Pereira, Simón Bolívar y San Francisco del Distrito Sanitario Barquisimeto, se realizó un estudio transversal utilizando un muestreo por conglomerado en varias etapas, evaluándose 210 niños por ambulatorio aproximadamente. Para la evaluación nutricional las medidas de peso/talla fueron llevadas a las Tablas para uso internacional de la O.M.S., modificadas por el I.N.N., para su interpretación se usó la Tabla de Combinación de Indicadores de Jaime Ariza modificada por Yolanda Valero. La clase social se estudió con la encuesta de Graffar modificada por Méndez Castellanos. De un total de 1.895 niños estudiados; el 35% presentan malnutrición. El 23% están desnutridos predominando la desnutrición actual. El 0,5% presentan desnutrición grave y un 12% tiene sobrepeso u obesidad. La prevalencia de desnutrición es mayor en el grupo etario de 12-23 meses (27%) y de 4-5 años (25%), en hijos de madres analfabetas (45%), en la clase social V (33%) en hijos de padres obreros y en familias con ingresos menores de 6.600 bolivares mensuales. El sobrepeso u obesidad predomina en el sexo masculino, en los niños menores de 6 meses y de 1 a 3 años, en las familias de mayores ingresos económicos, en las clases sociales más altas y en los hijos de madres universitarias. Las áreas más afectadas por desnutrición fueron: área de influencia del ambulatorio Simón Bolívar (46%), Cerritos Blancos (29%), Cabudare (24%) y San Francisco (20%)

Incidencia de bronconeumonia en pacientes desnutridos de III grado / Bronchopneumonia incidence in III grade malnutrition patients

Se estudio en forma retrospectiva a 150 pacientes con diagnostico de desnutricion de III grado asociado con bronconeumonia del Servicio de Medicina Interna del Hospital del Nino. Se seleccionaron 94 pacientes, 35 correspondieron a pacientes vivos y 59 a pacientes fallecidos, de estos se les practico a 27 estudios postmortem. Se concluyo que la bronconeumonia ocupa el mayor procentaje de complicaciones en pacientes con desnutricion de III grado. El mayor riesgo de la poblacion fueron pacientes menores de 1 ano, ademas de la importancia de la rehabilitacion esta tambien relacionado con la prontitud del manejo y la recuperacion nutricional, superacion economica y cultura de la poblacion