Nutritional status of school going children (5- 8 years) in urban slum areas of Muzaffarpur town, Bihar, India, using WHO Z-score system

Sangeeta Rani^a*, Ranjana Mall^b & Vinita Rani^c
a*¹Deptt. of Home Science B.R.A. Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India
^bUGC-NET, JRF, Deptt. of Home Science, B.R.A. Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India
^cDeptt. of Home Science, B.R.A. Bihar University, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India
Received , 10^th December, 2014; Revised: 9^th January, 2015

Abstract : Nutritional status directly affects the growing up of children in term of physical and mental development. One of the greatest problems of India in under nutrition among children. The country is struggling with this problem. Malnutrition, the condition resulting from faulty nutrition, weakens the immune system and causes significant growth and cognitive delay. Growth assessment is the measurement that best defines the health and nutritional status of children, while also providing and indirect measurement of well-being for the entire population. School going children were randomly selected among all slum areas of Muzaffarpur Town. Anthropometric measurement of 120 school going children 5-8 years old were obtained, analyzed with WHO Anthro-Plus and associated with the mentioned variables by further statistical analysis. The overall prevalence of stunting, thinness and underweight were 30.83%, 80.83% and 55.83% respectively.

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