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Indian preschool children--a profile of stunting and wasting
Insights
Stunting, a sign of chronic malnutrition, affects more preschool children than wasting. However, stunting prevalence decreased significantly between 1974 and 1980, indicating improved child nutrition status.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Childhood malnutrition, assessed via stunting (chronic) and wasting (acute), remains a significant public health concern.
- Anthropometric data provides crucial insights into the growth status of preschool-aged children.
- Previous studies highlighted varying prevalence rates of malnutrition across different regions and age groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze anthropometric data of preschool children to determine the prevalence of stunting and wasting.
- To assess the trends in stunting and wasting over a defined period.
- To understand the relationship between age and the prevalence of malnutrition in children.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of anthropometric measurements from 18,938 preschool children (1-5 years).
- Data collected by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) across 10 Indian states.
- Assessment of growth status using 'stunting' and 'wasting' indicators.
Main Results:
- Stunting prevalence (58% in 1974, 45% in 1980) was higher than wasting.
- Stunting prevalence increased with child age.
- A notable decline in stunting and an increase in normal growth were observed between 1974 and 1980.
Conclusions:
- Chronic malnutrition (stunting) is more prevalent than acute malnutrition (wasting) in preschool children.
- Childhood stunting shows a declining trend over time, suggesting improvements in nutritional interventions.
- Age is a significant factor in the prevalence of stunting among young children.
Abstract:
Anthropometric data collected on 18,938 preschool children (1-5 years) by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) in 10 states of the country were analysed for assessing growth status in terms of 'stunting' and 'wasting'. The results showed that the prevalence of stunting, reflective of chronic malnutrition, is of higher magnitude compared to wasting (considered to be an outcome of current acute malnutrition), as well as wasting and stunting. The stunting increased with increasing age of children. The data also suggested that over the period, the prevalence of stunting declined from 58 per cent in 1974 to 45 per cent in 1980. A corresponding increase in normals from 35 to 50 per cent has also been noticed during the same period.