Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: May | Volume: 8 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 36-44
Prevalence of Malnutrition among the Preadolescent Brickfield Workers of West Bengal, India
Banibrata Das
Department of Physiology, South Calcutta Girls’ College, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700025, India
ABSTRACT
Background: Children and preadolescent are universally considered to be the most important asset for any nation; hence their health and well-being are crucial. Malnutrition is the most common nutritional disorder in developing countries and it remains one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children and preadolescent worldwide.
Objective: The main aim of the present study was to determine and compare the nutritional status of male and female preadolescent brickfield workers. This paper also focused on the socio-demographic as they affect the nutritional status of the male and female preadolescent brickfield workers.
Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 116 brickfield workers (54 male and 62 female) from 12 Brickfields, working in a selected brick field unit of Bhadrakali in Hooghly District. A cross-sectional community-based descriptive study was conducted, to collect primary information from households using a scientific questionnaire, anthropometric measurements including height, weight as well as BMI and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were measured.
Results: This study also concludes that based on BMI, 68.96% of preadolescents were severe thinness or undernourished, having a Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) Grade I, Whereas 22.4% of preadolescents were moderate thinness or undernourished, having a Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) Grade II. This study also indicates that male preadolescent brickfield workers (75%) were more affected in this regard than female preadolescent brickfield workers (59%).
Conclusion: This study indicates that most of the preadolescent brickfield workers (95.7%) were underweight category, which is alarming nutritional status among preadolescent.
Key words: Preadolescent, Brickfield workers, Nutritional status, BMI, Malnutrition.