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Nutritional status, psychosocial development and the home environment of Indian rural children
S Vazir1, A N Naidu, P Vidyasagar
1National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, India.
Insights
Malnourished children experience developmental delays, particularly in vision, motor skills, language, and social interaction. Paternal involvement and a supportive home environment are crucial for positive child development and nutritional status.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Child malnutrition is a significant global health issue impacting development.
- Understanding microenvironmental factors is key to improving child outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess psychosocial development in well-nourished versus malnourished children (0-6 years).
- To identify microenvironmental factors influencing child growth and development.
Main Methods:
- Multicentric, cross-sectional study in rural communities.
- Assessed 3668 children using nutritional status indices and developmental screening tests.
- Utilized parental interviews to evaluate family and micro-environmental factors.
Main Results:
- Malnourished children showed significant developmental delays (7-11 months) in vision, motor, language, and social domains.
- Paternal involvement (spending time, storytelling, outings) positively impacted psychosocial development.
- Factors like parental education, small family size, child's appetite, and home amenities were linked to better nutrition and development.
Conclusions:
- Home-level interventions targeting identified factors can improve child development.
- Community-based programs are essential for stimulating growth in rural children.
Objective:
To assess the psychosocial development of well nourished and malnourished children aged 0-6 years and to identify the microenvironmental factors influencing their growth and development.
Design:
Multicentric cross-sectional.
Setting:
Rural Communities.
Subjects:
Total of 3668 children of whom 2212 were well nourished and 1456 were malnourished.
Methods:
Weight for age index to assess nutritional status. Cut-off < 75% NCHS standards used based on Gomez grades II and III being malnourished and Normal and grade I being well nourished. ICMR Developmental Screening Test to assess psychosocial development and modified WHO parental interview schedule to assess family and micro-environmental factors.
Results:
Malnourished children attained developmental milestones at a later age. Developmental delay among the malnourished was especially observed in areas like vision and fine motor, language and comprehension and personal social. The delay was to the extent of 7-11 months in these areas in different age groups. Paternal involvement with child care especially, father spending time, telling stories and taking child for outing was found to be important for positive psychosocial development. Other significant factors included parents teaching child, small family size and paternal occupation. Child's appetite, absence of health problems, parental age and family having own house and electricity were the factors significantly related to better nutritional status of children.
Conclusion:
Factors identified in the study are important for the development of relevant intervention at the home level. Appropriate multifaceted community based programmes such as the ICDS are also required for stimulating growth and development of backward rural children.