Anthropometric Measurements in Rural School Children

Abstract

ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS of 1012 rural school-going children, selected ran domly, were performed. There were 776 males and 236 females in the age group of 5-15 years. The values of weight and height were recorded for every child in the study sample. Age and sex break-up was studied and compared with the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) standard. The comparison made separately for boys and girls showed that the values for both sexes and in all age groups were less than the ICMR standard. The majority (83.6%) of the children belonged to the middle and low social class according to the modified Prasad's classification. An inference is, therefore, drawn that rural school children of middle and low socio-economic status are shorter and lighter as com pared with even their own counterparts on whom the ICMR values are based. The state of health of school-going children in India is far from satisfactory despite the fact that school health programmes along with other nutritional pro grammes have been in operation for several decades. School-going children constitute a sizeable section of India's population, i.e. about 27%, which is easily accessible and also receptive. An early and convenient method of assessing nutri tional and socio-economic status of growing children is anthropometry. Physical growth, in terms of weight and height, is considered an important parameter reflecting the pattern of growth and development in a community. In the developing countries, the growing children by and large are depnved of good nutrition on account of their poor socio-economic status, ignorance and lack of health promotional facilities. This nutritio nal deprivation results in relative stunting of growth.