Dietary assessment complements anthropometry in identifying childhood undernutrition: A cross sectional hospital based in children (1-18 years)

Abstract

Parents worried about health of their ward are quite common in a pediatrician clinic. The usual approach is anthropometric assessment only. Present research was an attempt to verify recent recommended concurrent use of dietary assessment along with physical measurements for identifying undernutrition. It was a hospital based, cross sectional study, enrolled were 1 to18 years old children who attended pediatrics OPD with only complaint being not growing well or not eating well. Detailed anthropometry was done, and children were grouped as normal or underweight, wasted or stunted using available standards. Three-day diet recall data was used along with food frequency questionnaire to assess dietary intakes for all.Children were placed into four groups-Both anthropometric and dietary failure (BF), Anthropometric failure only (AFO), Dietary failure only (DFO), Neither failure (NF). The present research included 176 children, of which 102(57.9%) were boys. Dietary failure only (DFO) was found in 64(36.3%) children. Anthropometric failure combined with dietary failure, (BF) found was underweight in 79(44.8 %) and overweight in 9(4.5%) children. Stunting was found in 26(14.8%) children. Proportion of children with anthropometric failure only (AFO) & neither failure (NF) were 13(7.3%) and 11(6.2%) respectively. Dietary failure was found in more than four fifth (86.3%) children, of which manifest anthropometric failure was present in approximately 44.8% children. Anemia & rickets were found in 88(50%) & 8(4.5%) children. Both diet and anthropometry are important determinants of nutritional status of an individual but both should be used concurrently to avoid overlooking hidden undernutrition. Most of the times parental concern of their ward not well turns out to be correct.