Affiliation

• ¹Department of Biotechnology, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan-384265, Gujarat, India
• ²Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Khyati Institute of Science, Khyati Foundation, Ahmedabad-380058, Gujarat, India
• ³Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute, Jehangir Hospital, 32, Sassoon Road, Pune-411001, Maharashtra, India
• ⁴Department of Biochemistry, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara-390002, Gujarat, India
• ⁵Department of Biochemistry, M G. Science Institute, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India

Corresponding Author

Prerna Patel, Principal Investigator and Women Scientist Scheme (WOS-A), Department of Biotechnology, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan – 384265, Gujarat, India, Tel: +91-9724305528; E-mail: prernappatel@gmail.com

Citation

Patel, P.P., et al. Assessment of Nutritional Status of School Going Children in Gujarat. (2016) Int J Food Nutr Sci 3(2): 378-380.

Copy rights

© 2016 Patel, P.P. This is an Open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the nutritional health status of school going children in Gujarat.
Methods: A cross-sectional study on apparently healthy adolescents (10 - 14 years, n = 604) from different SES, was conducted in Gujarat, Western India. The outcome parameters included anthropometric measures, body composition, serum 25 OHD and haemoglobin concentrations (in sub-sample). Chi-square test was used to estimate the percentage prevalence of stunting, wasting, % fat mass (FM), vitamin D status and anaemia amongst school going children.
Results: Girls were significantly taller and heavier than boys and also had significantly increased fat mass (FM) and bone mineral content (BMC) whereas boys had significantly increased muscle mass (MM) and fat free mass (FFM). 9% of both boys and girls showed wasting whereas 9 % of the boys and 6% of the girls were at the risk of being overweight (p > 0.05). Similarly 10% boys and 7% girls were stunted and 31% boys and 21% girls had subnormal height (p < 0.05). 63% boys and 43% girls were underfat; in contrast, 8% boys and 6% girls were overfat and 10% boys and 5% girls were obese (p < 0.05). We found a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, 34% boys and 30% girls had insufficient (between 20 ng/ml to 30 ng/ml) and 60% boys and 69% girls had deficient (< 20 ng/ml) serum 25OHD concentration. One fifth of the study population was suffering from mild/moderate anaemia.
Conclusion: Stunting and underfat were observed more often in boys as compared to girls. There exists a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in adolescents of Gujarat.