Nutritional Status and Cognitive Abilities of Pre-School Children
Loading...
Date
2018-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad
Abstract
The study was conducted at The Department of Food Science and Nutrition of UAS Dharwad, to assess the nutritional status and cognitive abilities of urban and semi-urban pre-school children of Dharwad, Karnataka. A sample size of 100 pre-school children aged 3-6 years were selected. Nutritional status of pre-school children was assessed based on anthropometry and clinical examination. Height and weight of the children were compared with the NCHS standards. According to Waterlow’s classification, normal children were more in urban (92%) than the semi-urban (78%). Clinical examination was done by using rapid clinical survey given by ICMR. Kaufman Assessment Battery for children was administered to measure the cognitive abilities of children. Urban children cognitive abilities was higher than the semi-urban. The mean nutrient intake of both urban and semi-urban children were less, when compared with the RDA. In urban, significant correlation at five per cent level was found between mothers education and mothers nutritional knowledge, nutritional status and cognitive abilities of children and at one per cent level significant correlation found between mothers nutritional knowledge and nutritional status of children. In semi-urban, significant correlation at one per cent level was found between mother’s education and mother’s nutritional knowledge, mother’s education and cognitive abilities of children, mother’s nutritional knowledge and nutritional status of children, mother’s nutritional knowledge and cognitive abilities of children and at five per cent level significant correlation found between nutritional status and cognitive abilities of children. The results of the study highlighted that, at baseline, nutritional status and cognitive abilities were higher in urban children compared to semi-urban but after supplementing with institutional food, significant improvement in anthropometry and cognitive abilities was observed in semi-urban group and after 3 months of admission semi-urban children were on par with the urban children in terms of nutritional status and cognitive abilities.