INTRODUCTION:

“There is no actual starvation or deaths from starvation but there is widespread mortality from diseases due to malnutrition” ----Walter Duranty

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:

Nutritional status is an important indicator to measure children’s quality oflife. The physical growth and nutritional status of school age children are very important because they represent the general health status of the entire community.¹

The term malnutrition refers to both under nutrition as well as over nutrition. However, sometimes the term malnutrition and protein energy malnutrition (PEM) are interchangeable with under-nutrition.¹

School going age is very significant because this is the main period of life to make the body store nutrients. These stores health in the rapid growth of children. The nutrition means a stronger immune system, low illness, better health and a productive society.²

Good nutrition during school age is important to overcome the deficiencies occurred during childhood. Adequate food availability in terms of quality as well as quantity, ability to digestion, absorption and utilization of food and discriminations against girls can greatly affect the adequate nutrition of children.²

The children all over the world are disadvantages of many facilities. Hunger and malnutrition make them worst sufferers and this pose potential threats to man. The 2017 Global Hunger Index (GHI) report rank India 100^th out of 118 countries with a serious hunger situation India is home to over 1/3^rd of world’s malnourished children and for 5.6million deaths due to malnutrition out of 10.4million child deaths per year. Prevalence of malnutrition varies state wise with highest in Madhya Pradesh (55%) to lowest in Kerala 27%.³

Populations in which there is co-existence of under and over nutrition are known to be facing the double burden of malnutrition. According to Global Nutrition Report 2018, one in three people suffer malnutrition, one in 20 children complain of hunger and one in every five deaths around the world is attributed to poor diet.⁴

To tackle the problem of malnutrition and its consequences in adolescences in India, the midday meal scheme was launched for school going children in 1995, with the primary objective to increase school enrollment and attendance. The scheme was entered to primary school children also Rashtriya Bal Swasthya karyakram was launched in 2013 by ministry of health and family welfare, government of India under the national health mission for early detection and timely management of illness including malnutrition among children (0-18) years.⁵

However, the continuum of nutrition care between childhood and adolescent age group is still missing from India’s nutritional programs that can specifically target the most common risk factors for malnutrition. To our dismay, we do not have many generalisable data from this age group.⁵

The present study was undertaken with the primary objective to evaluate the nutritional status of school going children (6-12) years age group in term of their mean height, weight, body mass index.⁵

Hagag S, Shafika N, Asmaa MT (2022) conducted a study on prevalence and determinants of malnutrition among under five children in a rural village in Giza Governorate. The objectives of the study were to assess the prevalence and determinants of malnutrition among under five children. The data was collected by administering structured questionnaires and anthropometric measurement. The result shows that the mean age of the children was 35.98±15.8 months and the mean age of mothers was 28±4.6 years. Stunting was found in 16.2%, wasting in 9% and underweight in 15.6% of children with a total malnutrition of 79(24.7%). Nearly half of children were anemic (51.2%). Many risk factors were contributing to malnutrition as socioeconomic status, age of mother at giving her first birth and child birth weight.⁶

RESULT:

Section I: Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Selected Socio-Demographic Variables:

Table 1. Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Selected Socio-Demographic Variables. N=120

Sl. No	Variables	Category	Frequency	Percentage (%)
1	Age	6-7 years	21	17.5%
		8-9 years	30	25%
		10 - 11 years	39	32.5%
		12 years	30	25%
2	Sex	Boy	53	44.17%
2	Sex	Girl	67	55.83%
3	Class	Class 1 -2	32	26.67%
		Class 3-4	38	31.67%
		Class 5-6	50	41.66%
4	Religion	Hinduism	113	94.17%
4	Religion	Islam	7	5.83%
5	Number of siblings	Only child	19	15.83%
		1	46	38.33%
		2	38	31.67%
		More than 2	17	14.17%
6	Source of income	Father	74	61.66%
		Mother	21	17.5%
		Both	25	20.84%
7	Type of family	Nuclear Family	71	59.16%
7	Type of family	Joint Family	49	40.84%
8	Source of drinking water	Government supply	27	22.5%
		Well	12	10
		Hand pump	60	50%
		Others	21	17.5%
9	Drainage system at home	Open	71	59.17%
		Close	29	24.17%
		No drainage	20	16.66%
10	How frequently do you have meals outside home?	Very frequently	9	7.5%
		Sometimes	72	60%
		Very rarely	39	32.5%
11	What do you have for your evening snacks?	Homemade snacks	77	64.17%
		Package food/convenience food	40	33.33%
		Street food	1	0.83%
		Fruits	2	1.67%

Section II:Frequency and Percentage Distribution of BMI According to WHO

Figure 2: Pie diagram showing the percentage distribution according to BMI

Figure 2: It shows that majority 68.33% of the participants were found to be of normal weight, followed by 30% of the participants were underweight and 1.57% of the participants were overweight.

Section III: Association of Malnutrition with the Selected Demographic Variables

There is a significant association found between the demographic variables i.e., class 36.54%, number of siblings 36.53%, evening snacks 31.22%, meals per day 25.36% and source of drinking water 16.276%.

Section IV: Prevalence of Malnutrition

Prevalence of malnutrition was found to be 21.965% at p<0.05.

DISCUSSION:

Section I: Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Selected Socio-Demographic Variables:

In the present study majority 32.5% of the participants belong to the age group of 10-11 years, 55.83% were female, 41.66% of the participants were from 5-6 class, 59.16% are from nuclear family present. Present study finding is contrast with the study findings conducted by Garg SK, Kaur K, Baberwal N(2020) where the researcher has found that the majority of the participants belong to the age group of 8-10 years, 51.7% were male, 25.3% from class 2, 67.7% belong to the joint family.³

In the present study, 94.1% of the participants were Hinduism, 38.33% of the participant has one sibling, 95% of the participants were non-vegetarian. Present study finding is consistent with the study findings conducted by Das D, Pandya R, Avani (2021) where the result has found that the majority of the participants were from the Hindu by religion, has one sibling and were non-vegetarian.⁷

Section II: Frequency and Percentage Distribution of BMI According to WHO:

In the present study 30% of the participants were found under nutrition, 68.33% were normal, 1.67% were over nutrition. The present study findings is consistent with the study conducted by Inkhiya S, Dr. Bika MS, Dr. Shekhawat K(2016) where the researcher found that 30% of the children were under weight for their age, 18.33% were overweight, 50.33% were normal weight, 1.33% were found obese.⁸

Section III: Association of Malnutrition with the Selected Demographic Variables:

There is a significant association between the demographic variables i,e class, number of siblings, source of drinking water, evening snacks, meals per day with malnutrition because the obtained chi- square (𝛘²) value is greater than the table value at 0.05 level of significant. The finding is supported by the findings of the study conducted by Khalid FA, Elbirdery MM, Elgasim EE (2021) where the researcher found that prevalence of malnutrition as significantly associated with age, sex, locality and source of drinking water, meals per day.⁹

Section IV: Prevalence of Malnutrition:

The present study showed overall prevalence of malnutrition among school going children in the selected schools was 21.965%. The present study finding is contrast with the study conducted by Garg SK, Kaur K, Baberwal M (2020) where the researcher reported that overall prevalence of malnutrition was 56.3%.³

CONCLUSION:

The study had been conducted to assess the prevalence of malnutrition among schools going children in selected schools of Changsari, Kamrup (R), Assam. In this study prevalence of malnutrition was found to be 21.96%. There was significant association found between the demographic variables i.e, class, number of siblings, consuming evening snacks, meals per day, and source of drinking water.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

We thank the Village Headmen and the Villagers of Nij Sindurighopa Village, Changsari, Kamrup (R), Assam. We are extremely thankful to Ms. Ankita Saikia, Ms. Bhagyashree Basumatary, Mr. Hage T. Nobing, Ms. Neha Nasrin Saharia, Ms. Pradarshina Panging, Ms. Priya Devi and Ms. Taba Nasifor their contribution in our research study.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interest or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

REFERENCE:

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8. Inkhiya S, Bika MS, SK, Mani R.A cross sectional study to assess prevalence of malnutrition in school children 6-12 years of age of Bikram, Rajasthan. IJARPF. 2016; 2: 867-870. Available from:https://www.allresearchjournal.com/archives/?year=2016&vol=2&issue=5&part=M&Articled=2013

9. Khalid FA, Eldirdery MM, Mukhtar MM. Prevalence of Malnutrition in School Age Children, Kassala state, Sudan, Longdom Published. Nov 2021. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/35235798_Prevalence_of_malnutrition_in_School_aged_children_Kassala_State_Sudan

Received on 02.01.2024 Modified on 18.03.2024

Asian J. Nursing Education and Research. 2024; 14(2):113-116.

DOI: 10.52711/2349-2996.2024.00022