ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF 5-10 YEARS AGED CHILDREN IN SUKUMBASI BASTI (SLUMS) OF DHARAN

Abstract

Nutritional survey was conducted to assess the contributing factor for nutritional status of 5 to 10 year children in selected Sukumbasi community in Dharan, Sunsari district. A cross-sectional study was done using Anthropometrics measurement and structured questionnaire tools in Sukumbasi community children of 5 – 10 years old to determine their nutritional status. The children were randomly selected and the total numbers of children taken in the study were 165. The data obtained from the survey were analyzed using WHO anthroplus 3.2.2 and SPSS 20.0 and the results were found out. Analysis of Weight for Age showed that 73.3% of the children were normal and 26.7% were malnourished. 19.4% were found to be moderately underweight and 7.3% were severely underweight. According to Height for Age 65.5% of children were classified as normal, 26.7% of children fall under moderately stunted while 7.9% of children were severely stunted. According to BMI for age z-score, the result showed that 6.1% of children were moderately thinned, 0.6% of children were severely thinned, while 93.3% of children were normal. Prevalence of thinness was seen higher in male children in comparison with female child. 6.2% of male child were moderately thinned and 1.2% of male child were severely thinned while 5.9% of female child were moderately thinned and there were no any female child in the criteria of severely thinned. In case of prevalence of moderately stunting in male children was found higher than female children but in case of severely stunting female children were more stunted than male children. 30.0% of male children were moderately stunted and 6.2% of male children were moderately stunted while 23.5% of female children were moderately stunted while 9.4% of female children were severely stunted.