Nutritional status of children in urban slums around Hyderabad city
Prasada Rao, T.M.; Sastry, J.G.; Vijayaraghavan, K.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 62(10): 1492-1498
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 4455609 Document Number: 214487
For 137 families in a slum area of Hyderabad City the diets of 21 children aged 3 to 7 years were examined using oral questionnaires, and all children aged 1 to 7 years were measured. The average intakes of energy, Ca, Fe and vitamin A were below the recommended dietary allowances. Nearly 20% had signs of vitamin A deficiency and 50% had signs of vitamin B complex deficiency. Only 2% of the children had signs of mild protein and energy malnutrition. According to Quetelet's index of weight/height2 X 100, 22.5% of the children were normal. There were 92% with low height for age, weight for age or weight for height, indicating that they were suffering from current long-duration malnutrition. There were 5.9% with normal height for age but a low weight for age and weight for height indicating a current short-term malnutrition, and 2.0% had low heights and weights for age but a normal weight for height, indicating that they were nutritional dwarfs. Rural Hyderabad children appeared to be better off, for only 81% of them had current long-duration malnutrition.