Comparison
of Nutritional Status of Pre-Schooling Children as Per Sex
Rathi
HB, Bansal AK and Chauhan P*
Dept. of Community Medicine,*Dept. of Obs.
And Gyn.
ABSTRACT:
On analysis of the collected data it has
been found that 17 percent female child were in normal grade in comparison to
their 15 percent male counter parts. Similarly in grade -1, there were 34
percent females in comparison to 33.3 percent males. As far as severely
malnourished concerned again percentage of males were higher in comparision to
female children.
KEY
WORDS: Severely
malnourished, Sex.
INTRODUCTION:
Since long there are reports of
discrimination against the girl child in family because they have been looked
upon as liabilities and burden weather it is a case of health, feeding,
Schooling, enjoyment and so on. Even there are reports in the media of killing
new borne female child in some communities. In almost every part of
On this single issue where there is no fault
of her own, she has to suffer a great humiliation so much so particularly where
in the house hold / Community, there is another fellow women gave birth to a
son that her status in her own eyes goes down, resulting some of the mothers
even committed suicide.
In view of the above facts and taking in to
account the hitch of the community, would not admit it right away the authors
consider “Nutritional Status” may prove an independent indicator Bansal A. K.
et al (1) for revealing truth about status of the girl child in community.
MATERIAL
AND METHODS:
As per sampling procedure 555 children
belong to 0 to 60 months of age were weighed in the slum of Nagpur city (Maharashtra)
between 1st December to 31st October 1992.
Grading of Nutritional status was done as
per classification suggested by Indian Academy of Pediatrics using NCHS
standards as references National Centre for Health statistics of USA. The
growth standard considered to represent normal growth and which is currently
being widely used for the purpose of evaluation of growth performance in any
country including India is the one develops by the national centre for health
statistics (NCHS) of USA. On growth measurement of large numbers American
children .An expert group of World Health Organization (WHO.) had recommended
after a care full examination of data world wide that the NCHS standard was
best suited for use as an International Reference since it meets most of the
criterion considered necessary for the choice of a standard. The NCHS standard do not differ significantly
from the Havard standard as far as under five are concerned.(12 ).
TABLE – I: NUTRITIONAL STATUS
OF CHILDREN AS PER SEX
|
Nutritional status of
Children |
No. of Children N = 555 |
Male N = 267 |
Female N = 288 |
|
|
89 |
40(15.0) |
49(17.0) |
|
Malnourished Grade – I |
187 |
89(33.3) |
98(34.0) |
|
Grade – II |
210 |
105(39.3) |
105(36.5) |
|
Grade – III |
60 |
29(10.9) |
31(10.8) |
|
Grade - IV |
09 |
04(1.5) |
05(1.7) |
Figures in parenthesis
indicate percentage.
TABLE – II: NUTRITIONAL STATUS
AS PER AGE AND SEX
|
Age in Months |
See of Children |
No. of Children |
|
Malnourished |
|
0 - < 6 |
Male Female |
12 27 |
07(58.4) 11(40.8) |
5(41.6) 16(59.2) |
|
6 - < 12 |
Male Female |
24 34 |
06(25.0) 11(32.4) |
18(75.0) 23(67.6) |
|
12 - < 24 |
Male Female |
70 65 |
08(11.4) 05(7.7) |
62(88.6) 60(92.3) |
|
24 - < 36 |
Male Female |
53 60 |
07(13.2) 08(13.3) |
46(86.8) 52(86.7) |
|
36 - < 48 |
Male Female |
54 57 |
12(22.2) 08(14.0) |
42(77.8) 49(86.0) |
|
48 - < 60 |
Male Female |
54 45 |
00(0.0) 06(13.3) |
54(100.0) 39(86.7) |
Figures in parenthesis
indicate percentage.
OBSERVATION AND DISCUSSION:
On analysis of the collected data it has been revealed
that out of 555 only 89 (19.0 %) of children were of normal grade and of these
89, 40 (15.0 %) were males in comparison to their counterparts 49 (17.0 %)
females (Table-I). Table further reveals that 33.7 % male children belong to
grade - I malnutrition, while 34.0 % females. Regarding proportion of severely
malnourished (grade III + IV) children concerned there were 12.4 % male
children which is more or less equal to their counterparts female children
(12.5 %). The difference between the malnourished male and female children was
statistically found not significant.
(X2 = 0.33, d. f. =
1, P > 70.05)
In comparison to(Table - II) reveals that in age group
of 0 to <6 months, 58.4 % male children were of normal grade 40.8 % females
while in 6 to < 12 months of age group percentage of normal grade male
children 25.0 in comparison to their female 32.4 % counterparts. While in 12 –
60 months old male and female children were concerned, 46.8 % belongs to male
category in comparison to females 48.37 %.
Bansal et al (1) in their study observed that there
were higher percentage of female children belong to normal grade nutrition than
their male counterparts Dr. Mrs. Daga (4) in her study in adivasi – area of
Thane Distt. of Maharashtra noted that higher percentage of girls had good
nutritional status in comparison to their male counterparts.
Gupta S. C. (5) in his study conducted in
Thus the authors reached to the conclusion that there
are discrimination against female child. In spite of various laws have been in
acted from time to time such as pre natal diagnostic techniques (Regulation and
prevention of miss crying act of 1994 / child marriage Restraint amendment act of 1978 / various scheme of incentives as announced on the various
occasions, the society has been uncared towards females.
In a democratic setup like ours people have a right to
make their own choices regarding their lifestyle, living standard, nutritional
habits, and health but still it is the responsibility of the state to bring in
to the notice, the right choices among the people.
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Received on 14.02.2010
Accepted on 28.02.2010
© A&V Publication all right reserved
Research J. Pharmacology and
Pharmacodynamics 2(2): March –April 2010: 181-182