Anthropometric and clinical nutrition status of workers in some Indian factories

Anthropometric and clinical nutritional status of 195 male factory workers was assessed in Nainital, North India. Relationships between anthropometry and clinical scores and between nutritional status and either education or income were evaluated. Mean ± standard deviation values were: height 161.3 ± 6.0 cm, weight 52.7± 7.6 kg, BMI 20.2 ± 2.4 and MUAC 24.0 ± 2.3 cm. For BMI, 57% of the subjects were below 20, a value below which FAO predicts that there will be increased risk of work performance. Values corresponding to chronic energy undernutrition (below 18.5 BMI) were found in about 20% of workers. Clinical signs of nutritional deficiencies were found to be 10.76% for vitamin B complex, 2.05% for ascorbic acid and 2.05% for iron. Clinical scores and anthropometric values were negatively correlated with each other, indicating that clinical signs of nutritional deficiencies increased with decreasing anthropometric values. Education and per capita income appeared to have a positive influence on nutritional status.