Assessment of nutritional status of rural school going children (10-12 years) of Fatehabad District (Haryana)
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Date
2015
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CCSHAU
Abstract
The present study was conducted to determine nutritional status of rural school going children (10-
12 years) and to determine the impact of nutrition education on knowledge gain of selected children and
their mothers. Total 100 respondents were selected randomly from the two villages namely, Khabra Kalan
and Jandwala Baggar of Fatehabad district; out of 100 school going children, 50 children and their mothers
were selected randomly for imparting nutrition education. Nutritional status of children was assessed using
methods of dietary survey (24 hr recall method), anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI, mid
upper arm circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist to hip ratio) and clinical
assessment of signs and symptoms of various nutrient deficiency diseases. Data on personal and socioeconomic
profile of rural school going children (10-12 yrs) revealed that 49 per cent of the subjects belonged
to schedule caste category. Most of the respondents were from nuclear families (61.00%) and living in mixed
type of houses. Forty nine per cent of respondents’ fathers were engaged in agriculture work and majority
(69%) of respondents’ mothers were non-working (housewives). The average family income of 50 per cent
families was Rs.5001-10000 per month. Almost (98%) all of them were vegetarian. The mean daily intake of
cereals, pulses, fats and oils, milk and milk products, green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, roots and
tubers, sugar and jaggery and fruits by rural school going children was found to be lower than RDI. The
intake of nutrients like energy, protein, fat, calcium, iron, -carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C,
folic acid and vitamin B12 were also significantly lower than RDA (25.30 to 85.00%). The mean height,
weight, BMI, mid upper arm circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist to hip ratio of
boys and girls were found to be significantly (p 0.01) lower than the NCHS standards (2012). Clinical
examination revealed lack of lustre in 16 per cent children while pale conjunctiva, diffused pigmentation,
angular scars, cheilosis of lips, scarlet and raw tongue, magenta tongue, mottled enamel, dental caries,
spongy and bleeding gums, xerosis in the skin, follicular hyperkertosis was observed among 19.0, 13.0, 4.0,
13.0, 7.0, 4.0, 13.0, 11.0, 6.0, 4.0 and 2.0 per cent of school going children, respectively. There was minor
influence of mother’s working status and father education on diet and nutrition of rural school going
children. The results of the present study showed that intake of food stuffs was higher in children who
belonged to families with high income group. Similar types of effects of socio-economic variables were
observed on mean daily intake of various nutrients like energy, protein, fat, calcium, iron, -carotene, Bcomplex
vitamins, vitamin C, folic acid and vitamin B12 by the respondents. On the basis of present study, it
was concluded that mean daily intake of food and nutrients by the rural school going children were
significantly lower than their respective RDIs and RDAs. The all of anthropometric parameters taken under
study were significantly (p 0.05) lower than their respective reference values among the children. There is
urgent need to provide nutrition education to children and their mothers that will go
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Keywords
Planting, Genes, Biological phenomena, Transgenics, Pathogens, Diseases, Transgenic plants, Fungi, Brassica juncea, pcr