Growth and nutritional status of Bengali adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVE: Assessment of the growth and nutritional status among healthy Bengali adolescent schoolgirls at peri-urban area. METHODS: In this cross sectional study, sample consists of 527 school going adolescent girls, aged 10 to 18 years. The sample of the present study was collected from a peri-urban area (Duttapukur) of north 24 parganas district of West Bengal, India. Standard anthropometric measurements including linear, curvilinear and skinfold thickness were collected from each subject. Percentile curves and nutritional indices were used to determine the growth and nutritional status respectively. RESULTS: The nature of distance curves and percentile curves of the body measurements showed a high rate of increase in 10-11 years of age group corresponding to an earlier adolescent growth spurt than average Indian girls. The adolescent girls in the current study were found to be significantly (p<0.0001) taller than Indian girls and heavier than both Indian and urban Bengali girls but slightly shorter than urban Bengali girls. They are significantly (p<0.0001) shorter and lighter than American girls, which also corresponded to 50(th) percentile curves. Age specific nutritional assessment shows different grades of malnutrition among them. Gomez's classification indicates about 60 % to 70 % adolescent girls show either moderate to mild malnutrition during their growth period. Both the indices of Waterlow's classification show least percentage of least malnutrition among the girls. CONCLUSION: The growth pattern and nutritional status observed among adolescent girls in peri-urban situation show heterogeneity with respect to some anthropometric traits and in conformity with the growth pattern and nutritional status of urban girls.

Whole time domestic child labor in metropolitan city of Kolkata.

We conducted this study to explore the socioeconomic conditions, and health and nutritional status of whole time child domestic labor. 330 children engaged in domestic child labor ranging between 8 to 14 years of age from the metropolitan city of Kolkata were studied. Majority of the domestic child laborers were girls and migrants coming from illiterate families. These children were physically, mentally or sexually abused. Further, they suffered from anemia, gastrointestinal tract infections, vitamin deficiencies, respiratory tract infections and skin diseases along with a high prevalence of malnutrition. The study highlights the poor state of domestic child labor in Kolkata, India.

Agricultural child labor in West Bengal.

Five hundred agricultural child workers of the age group 7-14 years from nine villages of three districts of West Bengal were studied to investigate the socio-economic problems, health hazards and health status. Majority (65%) were Muslims and the rest were Hindus; 79% were boys and most were the eldest children in the families. Nearly 65% children were part-time workers of whom 54% were unpaid helpers and the rest mostly received meagre wages of Rs. 5 to 6 per day. Seventy per cent fathers and 96% mothers were illiterate. A total of 33.6% children did not attend schools and 37.6% had discontinued their studies due to poor economic conditions. Reasons for taking up jobs were mostly due to low family income. Almost 85% children lived in kaccha houses and 98.5% used open fields for sanitation. Different grades of malnutrition were observed in 77.4% boys and 88.5% girls. None had undergone any systemic health check-ups. The associated ailments recorded were anemia (68.5%), gastrointestinal tract infections (65.8%), upper respiratory tract infections (15.5%), vitamin deficiencies (81.2%), eye diseases (30.2%) and skin diseases (22.8%). Health hazards, to which the children were exposed, included heat-induced disorders (4%), mechanical injuries (16%), toxic effects of chemicals (3%), bites of poisonous insects (34%) and death of two children due to poisonous snake bite. No legal protection was available to child.

Child labor in suburban areas of Calcutta, West Bengal.

Seven hundred and fifty nine children in different sectors were covered in this study, which was undertaken by observational techniques, questionnaires and physical examination. All children belonged to the age group of 6-14 years. Nearly 30% children had migrated from neighbouring districts and states. Almost 88% were Hindus and 12.2% were Muslims. Seventy one per cent children came from large families. In 40% families one child, and in 59.6% families more than one sibling had joined the labor force. About 83% fathers and 93.9% mothers were illiterate. A total of 55.8% did not attend schools; 45.3% had discontinued school due to poverty (69.9%), father's apathy (8.4%), children's own attitude (10.4%) and frequent absence and physical assaults by school teachers (5.0%). The main reason for taking up jobs was low per capita income (70.3%). Wages were exploitatively low: as little as Rs. 50/- per month in 20.8%, for work of an average 10-12 hours per day. Only 4% had systemic health check-ups. Different grades of malnutrition were observed in 55.7% male and 29.5% female working children. The ailments observed included anemia (60.4%), respiratory tract infection (31.8%), and gastrointestinal tract infection (33.6%). Nearly half (52.6%) children were addicted to bidi smoking, 3% to ganja and 39.3% to betel-nut. The evils of exploitation are increasing inspite of existing child laws.