ANTHROPOMETRIC STATUS OF UNDER-5 CHILDREN FROM REMOTE RURAL AREAS IN FOREST BUFFER ZONE OF BOR TIGER SANCTUARY IN CENTRAL INDIA, DURING AUGUST-OCTOBER, 2016.

Dr. Manoj S. Patil*, Dr. Abhay Gaidhane, Dr. S. Z. Quazi, Navnita Jadhav, Shital Telrandhe and Dr. Vaishali Tendolkar 

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 46 villages which belong to Forest Buffer Zone of Bor Tiger Sanctuary in central India.[1] About 15 % population in this region is tribal. This cross-sectional survey was conducted during August to October 2016. All households with children in the age group of 6 months to 60 months were purposively selected and anthropometric assessments for weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference were done for all the children available on the day of visit. The main indicators assessed were weight for height, weight for age and height for age. The main anthropometric results (prevalence of global and severe acute malnutrition in terms of z-scores and/or oedema and 95% confidence intervals) are as follows- GAM: 21.7 % (19.4 - 24.3 95% C.I.) SAM : 5.8 % (4.6 - 7.4 95% C.I.) Prevalence of Severe Wasting as per WHZ scores was 5.8% whereas it was 0.9% as per MUAC cut-offs. Prevalence of severe stunting as per HAZ scores was 18.6% whereas prevalence of severe underweight as per WAZ scores was 13.6%. Special attention is needed regarding education and awareness of parents on nutrition of under 5 children with special focus on children aged 12-36 months showing highest percentage of wasting.

Keywords: Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM), Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), Wasting, Stunting.