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

PEM in Relation to Birth Order and Birth Interval in Children Aged 1–6 Years in Urban Slums of Mysore City

  • Author:
  • NC Ashok1,, A Santosh Kumar2, Raghavendraswamy Koppad2, D Sunil Kumar2, Murali Dhar3, SV Chandrashekar2
  • Total Page Count: 6
  • Page Number: 308 to 313

1Prof and Head, Dept of Commmunity Medicine, JSS Medical College, Mysore

2Assistant professor, Dept of Community medicine, Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences, Shimoga

3Associate Professor, Department of Population Policies and Programmes, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai

*Address for Correspondence: Dr N C Ashok, Prof & Head, Dept of Community Medicine, JSS Medical college,JSS University, Mysore. Tel.: 09901028002, E mail: asoknc@gmail.com

Online published on 13 January, 2015.

Abstract

Protein Energy Malnutrition (PEM) is widely prevalent form of malnutrition among under five children and is still the major problem in our country especially in urban slums.

1) To estimate the prevalence of PEM in children aged 1 to 5 years. 2) To study the association of birth order and birth interval with PEM in children aged 1 to 5 years.

A cross sectional study of 600 children of 1–5 year age group in urban slums of Mysore city was carried out with cluster random sampling method. The data was collected using a predesigned and pretested proforma. Assessment of the nutritional status was done by clinical examination and anthropometry. WHO child growth standards, 2006 reference data were used to classify malnutrition.

Among 600 children examined, 285 (47.5%) were males and 315 (52.5%) were females. 281 (46.8%) of the children were of Birth order one, 237 (39.5%) were of Birth order two, 66 (11%) were of birth order three and 16 (2.7%) children were of Birth order four and above. Birth interval in majority of children i.e. 176 (54.1%) was between 24–35 months and only in 62 (19.07%) children birth interval was more than 36 months. the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 129 (21.5%), 135 (22.5%) and 9 (7.5%) respectively. The prevalence of underweight was least in children with birth order one 78 (27.8%), Similarly wasting was found to be high in children with birth order three and above i.e. 19 (23.1%). Maximum number of children i.e. 42 (48.3%) were found to be underweight with birth interval less than 24 months.

Birth order and birth interval plays an important role in nutritional status of the child and need to be addressed

Keywords

PEM, Birth order, Birth interval