Nutritional and anthropometric profile of primary school children in rural Andhra Pradesh (Kambadur I.C.D.S. Block)
Bai, K.I.; Raghavaprasad, K.; Srinath, V.; Kumar, R.; Reddy, C.O.
Indian Pediatrics 16(12): 1085-1090
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 541074 Document Number: 421436
Study was of 1105 children 5 to 12 years old from 9 elementary schools of Kambadur area, Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India, a backward and drought-prone rural area. For each of their 7 years of age and for each sex, tables give the number of children, mean bodyweight or height and s.d. and percentage of the Indian Council for Medical Research averages and Harvard standards for bodyweight or height. Only 4.6% of boys and 6.3% of girls weighed more than 80% of the Harvard standard bodyweight; 25.9% of boys and 32% of girls were more than 90% of the Harvard standard height. They were shorter and lighter than the Indian standards also, but the differences were less than for the Harvard standards. Of the boys 25.9% and of the girls 32% had 91% or more of the Harvard standard height. Of boys 8.6% and of girls 9.4% had 60% or less of Harvard standard bodyweight; none had less than 71% of standard height. Other tables show arm circumference; that compared well with results published for Hyderabad schoolchildren but was lower than those for children of high-income families in Hyderabad or throughout India. Incidence in each sex of 9 signs of nutrient deficiency is tabulated; the most frequent signs were those of vitamin A and riboflavin deficiencies and anaemia. Poor nutritional status was ascribed to poverty.