A comparative study to assess the nutritional status among school children in urban and rural schools of Belgaum

Dr Pavankumar Tawani, Dr. Swati B Bikkannavar

1) Project Title: A COMPARATIVE PILOT STUDY TO ASSESS THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH AGE GROUP (6-8YEARS) OF SELECTED URBAN AND RURAL SCHOOL OF BELGAUM.

2) PI: Dr. PAVANKUMAR TAWANI, Dr. SWATI.B. BIKKANNAVAR,

PG Part 1, Department of MateriaMedica, A.M.Shaikh Homeopathic Medical College and PG Research Center, Belgaum

3) CoPI: Dr.ARCHANA.V.KULKARANI MD(HOM), ASSOSIATE PROFFESOR AND GUIDE,Department of MateriaMedica,A.M.Shaikh Homeopathic Medical College and PG Research Center, Belgaum

4) Date of start: 01/05/2022 to 31/07/2022

5) Duration: 3 months

6) Abstract: Malnutrition is a major public health problem in developing countries and in the early stage of life affects the growth and development of the child. The incidence and prevalence of malnutrition may differ among the rural and urban populations, due to a variety of factors.

Objective: The present study aims to assess and compare nutritional status among both urban and rural school children.

Method and Materials: A prospective observational study was carried out to compare urban(n=60) and rural(n=60) children aged 6-8 years in Belgaum district.

Anthropometric indices weight for height, weight for age, height for age based on WATERLOWS CLASSIFICATION and GOMEZ CLASSIFICATION OF MALNUTRITION used to estimate the children’s nutritional status.

Results and Discussion: Total of 120 students participated in the study, 60 from rural and 60 from urban. As per (table1) and (graph 1) analyzed through Water lows classification of malnutrition weight for height of urban and rural school children is with mild wasting seen in 18 students of urban and 20 from rural, moderate 08(urban), and 20(rural), severe 03 (rural) and 34 students from urban and 17 from rural are having normal weight for their height.

As per (table 2) and (graph2) analyzed through Waterlow’s classification of Malnutrition height for age of urban and rural school children with mild stunting was seen in 17 students from urban 18 from rural, moderate 02 (urban) and 04 (rural), severe seen in 1 student from rural and 41 students from urban and 37 students from rural are having normal height for their age.

According to (table3) and (graph 3) analyzed through Gomez’s classification of malnutrition weight for age of urban and rural school children with mild stunting seen in 17 students from urban and 33 from rural, moderate 05(urban) and 06 (rural), and 1 student with severe wasting is seen in rural.

As per (table 4) and( graph 4 )stunting is seen in 19 students from urban and 23 rural, and wasting seen in 26 from urban students and 40 from rural students. And 22 students from urban are malnourished and 43 students from rural are malnourished. The prevalence of wasting was more seen in rural as compared to urban school children.

Conclusion: The study would help to identify determinants for malnutrition and thereby appropriate measures to combat child malnutrition in rural as well as in urban set up. As per the study assessment of malnutrition, status of school children from Belagundi village from South Karnataka is seen more as compared to urban schools of Belagavi.

Keywords: Nutritional status, school-going children, Rural, Urban.

Download full paper 

 

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*