Department of Community Medicine, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College & Hospital, Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation, Puducherry, India.
Department of Community Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Puducherry, India.
J Paediatr Child Health. 2024 Nov;60(11):724-729. doi: 10.1111/jpc.16664. Epub 2024 Sep 16.
Undernurition stands as a significant contributor to childhood mortality, particularly in developing nations such as India. At the grass root level, anthropometric monitoring indicators such as stunting, underweight and wasting take place within Anganwadi centres (village courtyard). The scrutiny of growth records, utilising these markers, not only quantifies the burden but also informs corrective measures. This study aimed to assess the prevailing growth monitoring records within the rural vicinity of Puducherry.
A community-based cross-sectional study design was implemented to examine the health condition of children below 3 years of age, who were enrolled and utilising services in Anganwadi centres. The anthropometric data, such as weight and height, were collected from growth monitoring records maintained in Anganwadi. The proportions of undernutrition indicators such as stunting, underweight and wasting were presented with a 95% confidence interval (CI).
Within our rural service area encompassing 13 Anganwadis, a total of 572 children aged 3 or less were registered. Notably, approximately 14.2% (95% CI: 11.5-17.3) of these children experienced underweight, 16.4% (95% CI: 13.6-19.7) were stunted and 13.3% (95% CI: 10.8-16.3) were wasted. In terms of gender disparities, the prevalence of undernurition was notably higher among boy children, with 15.4% being underweight, 16.9% stunted and 14.7% wasted.
The prevalence of childhood undernurition is a public health concern, demanding the enhancement of existing nutritional initiatives to ameliorate the healthy well-being of these children. The timely identification of malnourished children holds paramount importance, as intensified interventions can be promptly employed to uplift the health status of these vulnerable individuals.
营养不足是儿童死亡的一个重要原因，特别是在印度等发展中国家。在基层，安格安瓦迪中心（乡村庭院）会进行衡量儿童生长发育的人体测量监测指标，如发育迟缓、体重不足和消瘦。利用这些指标审查生长记录不仅可以量化负担，还可以提供纠正措施。本研究旨在评估本地农村地区的儿童生长监测记录情况。
本研究采用社区为基础的横断面研究设计，对在安格安瓦迪中心登记并使用服务的 3 岁以下儿童的健康状况进行检查。从安格安瓦迪保存的生长监测记录中收集体重和身高等人体测量数据。使用 95%置信区间（CI）呈现发育迟缓、体重不足和消瘦等营养不足指标的比例。
在我们涵盖 13 个安格安瓦迪的农村服务区内，共有 572 名 3 岁以下的儿童登记。值得注意的是，这些儿童中约有 14.2%（95%CI：11.5-17.3）体重不足，16.4%（95%CI：13.6-19.7）发育迟缓，13.3%（95%CI：10.8-16.3）消瘦。在性别差异方面，男孩营养不足的患病率明显更高，其中 15.4%体重不足，16.9%发育迟缓，14.7%消瘦。
儿童营养不足的流行是一个公共卫生问题，需要加强现有的营养倡议，改善这些儿童的健康福祉。及时发现营养不良的儿童至关重要，因为可以迅速采取强化干预措施，提高这些弱势群体的健康状况。
