Nutritional status of school age children of salt-workers in Rajasthan
Singh, M.B.; Haldiya, K.R.; Yadav, S.P.; Lakshminarayana, J.; Mathur, M.L.; Sachdeva, R.; Beniwal, V.K.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 103: 304-309
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 8707371 Document Number: 460217
The salt industry in Rajasthan employs 15,000-20,000 people. Workers live as an isolated group, lacking many health and educational facilities. The anthropometric indices of weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height were used to assess the nutritional status of 1044 salt workers' children aged 6-18 years. Girls were heavier than boys during ages 10-15, while their height was equal or better during ages 10-13. This equal or better status of girls relative to boys during these ages is due to menarche. However, boys aged 16-18 years demonstrated a rapid significant increase in height and weight relative to girls of the same age. The subjects showed reduced growth compared to National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), World Health Organization (WHO), well-to-do Indian children, and Rajasthan reference values of the same age groups. 4.5% overall were stunted and severely wasted, with a higher prevalence of severe wasting observed in girls.