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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Clinico-anthropometric profile of children from Darjeeling tea garden

Rakesh Mondal1, Sumantra Sarkar, Avijit Hazra

  • 1Department of Pediatric Medicine, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India, ivanrakesh2001@gmail.com.

Indian Journal of Pediatrics
|September 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Hospitalized children and their siblings in Darjeeling tea gardens show significant malnutrition. Public health interventions are crucial to address these health disparities in tea garden communities.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Tea garden communities often face unique health challenges.
  • Assessing the health status of children in these settings is vital for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinico-anthropometric profile of hospitalized children and their healthy siblings in Darjeeling tea gardens.
  • To identify patterns of illness and malnutrition in this specific population.

Main Methods:

  • A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at North Bengal Medical College.
  • Included 157 hospitalized children and 301 of their apparently healthy siblings.
  • Recorded clinical diagnoses, height, weight, and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Main Results:

  • Common admissions for hospitalized children included gastroenteritis, respiratory infections, and meningo-encephalitis.
  • Siblings presented with nutritional anemia, worm infestation, and giardiasis.
  • Significant rates of stunting and wasting were observed in both groups, with hospitalized children showing higher prevalence.
  • Moderate malnutrition (defined by Z-scores) was linked to low BMI in a substantial percentage of both sick and healthy children.

Conclusions:

  • This study highlights a distinct pattern of illness and significant co-morbid malnutrition in both sick and healthy children from Darjeeling tea gardens.
  • The findings underscore the need for tailored public health policies to address the health needs of this vulnerable population.
Abstract

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