Promotion of

Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics

under the auspices of

Department of Home and Health Sciences

ABSTRACT

The study was carried out at the well baby clinic and vaccination center of Thal Hospital Layyah to find out the extent of malnutrition in pre-school children 0 to 59 months of age. Weight versus age was the parameter used for the assessment of malnutrition. Various factors influencing the nutritional status, like mothers’ education, breast-feeding and weaning practices, family size and income were also analyzed.

It was a cross sectional study, a sample of 200 children was obtained by convenient sampling technique.

General overall picture indicated that 59% children were normal and 41% were suffering from malnutrition. There were 106 male and 94 female children in the study population. Out of the malnourished children 42 had 1 st degree 22 had 2 nd and 18 had 3 rd degree of malnutrition respectively In the study population 70 male (59.3%) and 48 (40.7%) females were normal. 22 (52.4%) males and 20 (47.6%) females had 1 st degree of malnutrition, 8 (36.4%) males and 14 (63.6%) females had 2 nd degree of malnutrition and 6 males (33.3%) and 12 (66.7%) females had 3 rd degree malnutrition. The malnutrition was more in the female children.

There appeared a relationship between the mother’s education and nutritional status of the children. 44 (48.9%) children of illiterate mothers were normal and 46 (51.1%) were malnourished. Whereas the status of nutrition of children of educated mothers improved with the increasing education. 26 (81.2%) children whose mother’s education was more than matric were normal and 6 (18.8%) were malnourished.

Exclusive breast-feeding was an important factor. Children who were not breast fed, 14(36.8%) were normal and 24 (63.2%) were malnourished. The children who were breast-fed for 4-6 months, 24 (70%) were normal and 12 (30%) were malnourished. Children who were breast-fed for 7 months to 1 year 22 (61.1%) were normal and 14 (38.9%) were malnourished. Children who were breast-fed for more than one year 20 (55.6%) were normal and 16 (44.4%) were malnourished. As regards the weaning, out of the children who were weaned at the age of 4 months 56 (80%) were normal and 14 (20%) were malnourished. The children who were weaned at the age of 8 months 30 (51.7%) were normal and 24 (48.3%) were malnourished. The children who were weaned at the age of one year 32 (44.4%) were normal and 40 (55.6%) were malnourished.

The family size and the income were the other important factors that hold a relationship with the nutritional status of the children. The influence of various factors on the nutritional status of children was interrelated and integrated with each other.