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Category: Volume 08 Issue 01 January 2020
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Title: Nutritional assessment of early adolescents: Cross sectional study from largest tertiary care centre of Gujarat

Authors: Sandeep Jhajra Dayanand, Meera Pillai, Arpita Dash, Debasish Nanda, Kavitha Mallesh, Shivani Deshwal, Srishti Goel, Bela H Shah

 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v8i1.75

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a complex phase of physical, sexual and psychological development. Despite having various health programmes directed towards adolescent health like Kishori Shakti Yojana, Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram etc, the prevalence of malnutrition remains high. Large population, poor condition of health infrastructure, large socioeconomic disparity, lack of basic health care facilty in remote areas, lack of accessibility to health care facility in many areas are some of the reasons for this high prevalence.

Methods: This was a hospital based prospective observational study, conducted in one of the largest tertiary care centre of India, over a period of 18 months. Patients in the early adolescent age group  of 10-14 years who required admission to the hospital were included and body mass index (BMI) for age was used for classifying the nutritional status in terms of thinness (BMI for age below 5th percentile), normal (BMI for age between 5th to 85th percentile) and overweight (BMI for age >85th percentile).

Results: The study group comprised of 190 early adolescent (114 boys and 76 girls). Overall prevalence of malnutrition, thinness and underweight was 66.3%, 56.8% and 9.5% respectively. Girls were affected more as compared to boys. Malnutrition was more common in lower socioeconomic class and those whose mothers were either illiterate or had primary level of education Two –third girls (63%) and around half of boys were anaemic. Deficiency of vitamin A, Vitamin B and Vitamin C was found in 7.3%, 8.9% and 0.1% respectively. .and dental Caries, Refractive errors and skin problems occurred in  17.89%,  5.26% and 9.4% children

Conclusion: Health and nutrition related issues are highly prevalent among adolescent age group in India. Policy makers should make an attempt to bridge the gaps in our health system and various health programmes for adolescents and plan strategic interventions to overcome problem of malnutrition.

Keywords: Adolescent; Thinness; Overweight; Anaemia

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Corresponding Author

Arpita Dash

Department of Medicine, IMS and SUM hospital, Siksha “O” Anusandhan University (Deemed to be), K8, Kalinganagar, Bhubaneswar-751003, Odisha, India