Anthropometric Characteristics and Nutritional Status of Bauri Pre-School Children of Nituria Block, Purulia, West Bengal.

摘要

Preschool children are in the developmental stage (functional) of life any impairment in their growth can reduce physical, mental and intellectual potential. This study assesses the prevalence of undernutrition among 2-6 year old pre-school children of Bauri caste of Nituria Block, Purulia, West Bengal, India. The cross sectional study was conducted in five different villages of Nituria Block of Purulia district. A total of 219 pre-school children aged 2-6 years were randomly selected and measured from each village. Anthropometric measurements such as height and weight were made following standard techniques. The body mass index (BMI) was computed following standard techniques and equation, respectively. The new international classification cut-off points provided by scientists were utilized to identify undernutrition. The overall (age-combined) mean BMI among boys and girls were 14.22 kg/m2 (sd = 1.5) and 13.67 kg/m2 (sd = 1.3), respectively. Mean BMI decreased from 2 to 5 years in boys. Mean BMI increased from 2 to 4 years and then decreased in 5 & 6 years in girls. The overall (age-combined) prevalence of thinness among boys and girls was 61.5% and 70.8%, respectively. The root of nutritional bias in terms of food intake starts at early stages of life, perhaps from early childhood. The present study clearly indicated that the nutritional situation of these children was serious. Introduction Development is the functional advancement of different parts of the body and for proper function adequate amount of food is required. Undernutrition, type of malnutrition arises due to the intake of less food than what is required for proper growth, maintenance and development of the body. Child nutritional status is an essential component of a country’s overall human development. There is a growing consensus that poor nutritional status during childhood (or even in utero) can have long-lasting scarring consequences into adulthood, both in terms of health and mortality, and in terms of other measures of human capital such as schooling and productivity 12 .Bauri, a cultivating, earth-working, and palanquin-bearing caste of Western Bengal, whose features and complexion stamp them as of non-Aryan descent, although evidence wants to affiliate them to any particular tribe now in existence. The Bauri are divided into the nine sub castes. Some of them may perhaps be nothing more than different local names for what was originally the same sub-caste, but this point is not really very material, by reason of the marked reluctance of the lower castes to intermarry families living at a distance. Bauri admit into their caste members of any caste higher than themselves in social standing. Bauri profess to be Hindus of the Sakta sect, but in Western Bengal, at any rate, their connection with Hinduism is of the slenderest kind, and their favourite objects of worship are Manasa, Bhadu, Mansingh, barpahari, Dharmaraj, and Kudrasini. The social rank of Bauri is very low 3 .Globally it is estimated that among preschool-age children in developing countries 183 million are underweight, 226 million are stunted and 67 million wasted 4 . India has the highest occurrence of childhood malnutrition in the world 5 . One out of every three children fewer than five in developing countries is malnourished. It is a major drain on developing countries’ prospects for development because malnourished children require more intense care from their parents and are less physically and intellectually productive as adults. There is absence of representative data on the nutritional status of Bauri preschool children. In view of this, the present investigation studies the prevalence of undernutrition among 2-6 year old scheduled caste (Bauri) preschool children of Purulia District, West Bengal. Materials and Methods The present study was cross-sectional and community based conducted in five different villages namely, Ramkanali, Raghudi, Garponchokot, Mekatala and Rampur of Nituria