Assessment for Nutritional Status Among Pre - School Children in South Delhi, India

ABSTRACT

Background: Weight is an important metric to measure protein energy status, and women from underdeveloped or developed nations who are heavier at pre - pregnancy deliver heavier babies. Methods: This study was conducted in JJ Colony, Madanpur Khadar Extension of South Delhi and included 50 children each in two groups (between 24 - 35 months and 36 - 47 months of age), with equal number of both genders. Anthropometric measurements of weight and height were measured. Results: Underweight in age 24 - 47 months 51 (51%), 36 (36% ), 11 (11%) and 2 (2%) children were found to be in the ranges of normal weight, Grade - I, Grade - II, and severely underweight, respectively by Indian Academy of Paediatrics or IAP classification. By Gomez classification, the same were estimated to be 28 (28 %), 45 (45%), 25 (25%), and 2 (2%). Stunting and wasting in age 24 - 47 months 52 (52%), 11 (11%), 16 (16%), and 21 (21%) children were found to be normal, in Grade - I, Grade - II and in Grade - III stunting respectively in height for age, while 82 (82%), 13 (13 %), 4 (4%), and 1 (1%) children were found to be normal, in Grade - I, Grade - II and Grade - III wasting in weight for height respectively; using the Waterlow classification. Conclusion: The most extensively used markers of nutritional quality in a population are anthropometric measures. In a total of 100 children, three types of assessments based on weight and height were done - weight for age to rule out underweight, height for age to rule out stunting and weight for height to rule out wasting.