COMPARATIVE STUDY ON NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF PRIMARY LEVEL SCHOOL CHILDREN STUDYING IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF BABIYA VDC, SUNSARI

Abstract

The nutritional status of school children influences their health, intellect, and subsequently their educational achievement. Yet, school children are not usually included in health and nutrition surveys. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 274 students; 137 students from each private and public schools in Babiya VDC, Sunsari to assess and compare the nutritional status of primary level school children and to determine the associated factors. Weight and height of students were measured using standard instruments and semi-structured questionnaires were administered to parents or care takers to assess the factors affecting nutritional status of children. Information about food consumption was collected by 24 hour dietary recall method. Prevalence of malnutrition was determined based on WHO classification and food composition table was used to calculate the nutrients contents. The survey data were analyzed using WHO Anthro Plus version 1.0.4 and SPSS 20.0. Chi-square test was used to identify the associated factors of malnutrition. In private schools, 10.2% children were stunted (2.2% severely stunted and 8.0% moderately stunted) and 28.4% were thinned (5.1% severely thinned and 23.3% moderately thinned). In public schools, 27% children were stunted (2.9% severely stunted and 24.1% moderately stunted) and 26.3% were thinned (6.6% severely thinned and 19.7% moderately thinned). The prevalence of stunting was higher in female students in both private and public schools. Thinness was more prevalent in male students of private schools whereas its prevalence was equal in both genders in public schools. Gender (p=0.013), adequacy of protein (p=0.000), adequacy of calorie (p=0.037) and age of mother (p=0.007) of private school children were significantly associated with stunting. While in public schools, birth weight of children (p=0.013) and knowledge of mother about malnutrition (p=0.014) were significantly associated with stunting. Knowledge about malnutrition of mothers (p=0.012) was found to be significantly associated with thinness in private school children whereas caste (p=0.01) was found to be significantly associated with thinness in public school children.