A community-based cross-sectional study was undertaken in the tribal areas of Odisha state, India, covering 1951 preschool children to assess their nutritional status in terms of underweight, stunting, and wasting; its correlates; and seasonal variation in nutritional status. χ2 Test, one-way analysis of variance, and unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were used for data analysis. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting was 58%, 65%, and 20%, respectively. The risk of underweight and stunting was, respectively, 1.9 and 2.4 times higher among children of illiterate mothers, whereas underweight and wasting was 1.4 times higher among children who had morbidities during the preceding fortnight. The prevalence of undernutrition was significantly (P < .01) higher during monsoon as compared with winter season. Undernutrition is an important public health problem and is associated with literacy of mother, morbidity, and season. Thus, improving socioeconomic condition, literacy, and sanitation along with insuring food security during monsoon season might improve nutritional status.
PelletierDLFrongilloEAJrSchroederDGHabichtJP.The effects of malnutrition on child mortality in developing countries. Bull World Health Organ. 1995;73:443-448.
2.
SachdevHPS. Assessing child malnutrition: some basic issues. Bull Nutr Foundations India. 1995;16:1-5.
3.
BlossEWainainaFBaileyRC.Prevalence and predictors of under-weight, stunting, and wasting among children aged 5 and under in western Kenya. J Trop Pediatr. 2004;50:260-270.
4.
PasrichaSRBiggsBA.Undernutrition among children in South and South-East Asia. J Paediatr Child Health. 2010;46:497-503.
5.
International Institute for Population Sciences. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), 2005-06. Mumbai, India: International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and Macro International; 2007.
6.
RamachandranN. Seasonal hunger: implications for food and nutritional security. In: SwaminathanMSMedranoP, eds. Towards Hunger Free India: From Vision to Action. Chennai, India: East West Books; 2004:1-19.
7.
JelliffeeDBJelliffeeEP.Community Nutritional Assessment. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 1990.
8.
WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO child growth standards based on length/height, weight and age. Acta Paediatr. 2006;450(suppl):76-85.
9.
World Health Organization. Measuring Changes in Nutritional Status. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 1983.
10.
ThimmayammaBVSRaoDH.A comparative study of oral questionnaire method with actual observation of the dietary intake of preschool children. J Nutr Diet. 1969; 6:177-181.
11.
FilmerDPritchettLH.Estimating wealth effects without expenditure data–or tears: an application to educational enrolments in states of India. Demography. 2001;38:115-132.
National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau. Diet and Nutritional Status of Tribal Population: A First Repeat Survey. Technical Report No. 24. Hyderabad, India: National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research; 2000.
14.
ReddyCHArlappaNHari KumarR. Diet and nutritional status of rural preschool children in the state of Odisha. J Hum Ecol. 2006;19:205-214.
15.
Mallikharjun RaoKHari KumarRVenkaiahKBrahmamGNV. Nutritional status of Saharia: a primitive tribe of Rajasthan. J Hum Ecol. 2006;19:117-123.
16.
DollaCKMeshramPShrivastavaPKarformaCDasSUikeM.Nutritional status of Kodaku preschool children in central India. J Hum Ecol. 2005;17:229-231.
17.
RaoVGYadavRDollaCKKumarSBhondeleyMKUkeyM.Undernutrition & childhood morbidities among tribal preschool children. Indian J Med Res. 2005;122:43-47.
18.
BisaiSMallickC.Prevalence of undernutrition among Kora-Mudi children aged 2-13 years in Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal, India. World J Pediatr. 2011;7:31-36.
19.
SharmaBMitraMChakrabartySBharatiP.Nutritional status of preschool children of Raj Gond: a tribal population in Madhya Pradesh, India. Malaysian J Nutr. 2006;12:147-155.
20.
MittalASinghJAhluwaliaS.Effect of maternal factors on nutritional status of 1-5 year-old children in urban slum population. Indian J Community Med. 2008;32:264-267.
21.
WamaniHAstromANPetersonSTumwineJKTylleskarT.Boys are more stunted than girls in sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis of 16 demographic and health surveys. BMC Pediatr. 2007;7:17.
22.
DelpeuchFTraissacPMartin-PrévelYMassambaJPMaireB.Economic crisis and malnutrition: socioeconomic determinants of anthropometric status of preschool children and their mothers in an African urban area. Public Health Nutr. 2000;3:39-47.
23.
MeshramIILaxmaiahAGalreddyChRavindranathMVenkaiahKBrahmamGNV.Prevalence of undernutrition and its correlates among under three-year old children in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, India. Ann Hum Biol. 2011;38:93-101.
24.
BharatiSPalMChakrabartySBharatiP.Trends in socioeconomic and nutritional status of children younger than 6 years in India. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2011;23:324-340.
25.
Pramod SinghGCNairMGrubesicRBConnellFA.Factors associated with under-weight and stunting among children in rural Terai of eastern Nepal. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2009;21:144-152.
26.
FeliceWF.The viability of the United Nations approach to economic and social human rights in a globalized economy. Int Aff. 1999;75:563-598.
27.
ShahSMSelwynBJLubySMarchantABanoR.Prevalence and correlates of stunting among children in rural Pakistan. Pediatr Int. 2003;45:49-53.
28.
LiYGuoGShiALiYAnmeTUshijimaH.Prevalence and correlates of malnutrition among children in rural minority areas of China. Pediatr Int. 1999;41:549-556.
