Anthropometry, Malnutrition, Public Health, Child Health Status, Nutrition Assessment, Obesity, Thinness
DOI:
10.2427/11497
Abstract :
BACKGROUND: Overweight, obesity and thinness are major important anthropometric determinants
of adverse public health issues, which lead to the development of several preventable noncommunicable disease and ill-health conditions.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the present study were to assess the prevalence and certain
socioeconomic and demographic factors affecting the double burden of malnutrition among urban
children of Assam, Northeast India.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was undertaken among 1017 (528
boys; 489 girls) the tribal Bodo children aged 5-11 years of Udalguri district of Assam, Northeast India
by using the stratified random sampling method. Height and weight were obtained using standard
anthropometric procedures and Body Mass Index (BMI=weight/height2, kg/m2) was calculated. The
prevalence of thinness, overweight and obesity was assessed by using recently proposed age-sex
specific BMI based international classification/reference of Cole et al.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of overweight (boys 13.45%; girls 11.04%) was found to be slightly
greater than obesity (boys 11.93%; girls 10.02%). The result showed that 11.93% and 11.04% were
suffering from thinness among boys and girls, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis
showed that the odds were found to be significantly associated with ? 10th standard mothers'
education, 1st earning head and Rupees <10000 income households (p <0.05) for thinness. Similarly,
greater risks were observed in 5-6 years, 7-9 years, ?7 household members and a lower association
with ? 10th standard mothers’ education for being overweight-obesity (p <0.05).
CONCLUSION: The emergence of overweight-obesity with greater degree of thinness, hence the prevalence
of ‘double burden of malnutrition’ in this population. Appropriate nutritional intervention programmes,
dissemination of nutrition related awareness among parents and community level are necessary to reduce
the future possibility of double malnutrition burden among other ethnic populations of India.