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Gender discrimination in undernutrition with mediating factors among Bengalee school children from Eastern India

Prakash Ranjan Mondal1, Sadaruddin Biswas, Kaushik Bose

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.

Homo : Internationale Zeitschrift Fur Die Vergleichende Forschung Am Menschen
|March 9, 2012
PubMed

Insights

High rates of underweight (44.40%) and stunting (37.20%) were found in Indian school children. Socio-economic factors like income and education significantly impact child nutrition, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and gender equality.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Public Health
  • Socio-economics

Background:

  • Childhood undernutrition, specifically underweight and stunting, remains a significant public health concern globally.
  • Socio-economic determinants are known to influence nutritional status, but require localized investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine age and sex variations in underweight and stunting prevalence among school children.
  • To assess the impact of socio-economic variables on undernutrition in 6-16 year olds.
  • To provide data for targeted nutritional interventions in Chapra, West Bengal, India.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 725 school children (6-16 years) in Chapra Block, West Bengal.
  • Random sampling from schools and madrassas.
  • Data collection included anthropometric measurements (weight-for-age Z-score and height-for-age Z-score) and socio-economic indicators (per-capita income, father's education, number of living rooms, number of siblings).
  • Statistical analyses included t-tests, F-tests, chi-square tests, linear regression, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • Overall prevalence of underweight was 44.40% and stunting was 37.20%.
  • Significant associations were found between nutritional status (WAZ, HAZ) and socio-economic factors including per-capita income, father's educational status, number of living rooms, and number of siblings, with variations between sexes.
  • Linear and logistic regression analyses identified per-capita income, father's educational status, number of living rooms, and number of siblings as significant predictors of underweight and stunting, particularly in girls.

Conclusions:

  • The nutritional status of school children in Chapra is unsatisfactory, with high rates of underweight and stunting.
  • Socio-economic status, particularly income and parental education, plays a crucial role in child undernutrition.
  • Interventions should focus on improving food supplementation and promoting gender equality to address nutritional disparities.

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