Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development
  • Year: 2015
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 1

A Study of Nutritional Status of Adolescent Girls of Social Welfare Hostels in and around Vijayawada City

  • Author:
  • K Shridevi1, R Nageshwara Rao2, P Madhavi3, K Chandra Sekhar4,, P G Deotale5
  • Total Page Count: 7
  • Page Number: 40 to 46

1Assistant Professor, Alluri Sita Rama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences, Eluru

2Professor & HOD, Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada

3Associate Professor, Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada

4Associate Professor, Alluri Sita Rama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences, Eluru

5Professor & HOD, Alluri Sita Rama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences, Eluru

*Name and address of corresponding Author: Dr. K. Chandra Sekhar, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Alluri Sita Rama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences, Eluru- 534005. E-mail: cskalevaru@yahoo.com, Mobile No: 09849360226.

Online published on 13 January, 2015.

Abstract

In India adolescents occupy a major part (22.8%) of total population1. Almost half of the adolescent girls were not geing even 70% of their daily requirements of energy and quarters of them were not geing 70% of the required proteins.2

To find out the magnitude of malnutrition and anemia among the adolescent girls of social welfare hostels in and around Vijayawada city.

A cross sectional observational study was done among adolescent girl students aged between 10–19 yrs residing in social welfare girls hostels in and around Vijayawada city.. Only girls hostel are included in the study. Two Hostels were selected by simple random sampling method. Anthropometric measurements of the students of class 7th, 8th and 9th were taken and recorded.

The mean weight and height of adolescent girls found to be 40.82kgs ±0.67 and 1.527m±0.0548 respectively which is below the NCHS standards. The prevalence of under nutrition as per BMI is 37.02%. The mean haemoglobin percentage was found to be 6.87±1.94 gm%. Prevalence of anemia by hemoglobin percentage is 98.44%.

The mean weight and height of adolescent girls is below the NCHS standards. Regular sessions of Health education regarding importance of taking balanced diet and Iron & Folic acid and deworming tablets should be provided to all adolescent girls.

Keywords

Age, adolescent girls, literacy, weight, height, body mass index