Assessment Of Nutritional Status of Children Under 5 Years of Age Attending Rural and Urban Anganwadi Centers of Jabalpur District

Abstract

Background: The key activity performed by anganwadi workers in integrated child development services (I.C.D.S.) at Aganwadi Centres was recording of weight of children using WHO growth monitoring charts. The assessment of nutritional status under five years age children was for early detection and timely correction of under nutri- tion in young children of both rural and urban areas. Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted using multistage random sampling. Technique to select 25 each rural and urban an- ganwadi centres of Jabalpur district. To track over the nutritional status of 0-5 years children registered both in rural and urban an- ganwadi centres, colour coded WHO growth monitoring charts sepa- rate for girls and boys were reviewed in month of March 2012. Results: More rural 3.7% than urban 1.9% 0-3 years children were found severely under weight (red zone) (p=<0.001). Significant dif- ference was also recorded in 3-5 years moderately under weights (yellow zone) children more in rural 29.8% than in urban 20.2% . (p=<0.001) Conclusion: Severely and moderately underweight children were significantly more in rural anganwadi centres compared to urban counterpart.

Keywords

• Growth monitoring
• under weight
• anganwadi workers
• rural and urban areas
• ICDS