Prevalence of Nutritional Deficiency Disorders among Rural School-Age Children in Jawan Block of Aligarh District

Children in the age group of 5–15 years are often considered as school age. It is recorded that in India, one fifth population consists of children between 5–14 years, which includes the primary and secondary school-age (1). Adequate micronutrient status is critical for good health and development during childhood. Access to high quality data on nutrition and health indicators in this age group would aid in prioritizing and setting up deliberate, evidence based nutrition intervention programs, targeting the nutritional problems that are of real concern (7). Objectives: 1. to examine the prevalence of clinical signs of nutritional deficiency disorders among school-age children. 2. to find out the difference in prevalence of deficiency disorders among boys and girls.

The present cross-sectional study was undertaken in the selected villages of Jawan Block, Aligarh District. Jawan Block is the field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, A.M.U., Aligarh. A sample of 350 school age children was selected for the purpose of data collection. Clinical Examination Manual was used to examine the signs/symptoms of nutritional deficiency disorders among the target group. It was developed with the help of ICNNDs Manual for Nutrition Surveys (8).

Findings of the present study revealed that night blindness was more prevalent (6.3%) than Bitot Spot and the prevalence of pale conjunctiva (29.4%) was higher than the koilonychia (17.4%). Glossitis and Cheilosis was present in 8.0% and 6.0% school children respectively. Bleeding gums were observed among 15.1% children. No case of goiter was found in the areas of study. Signs of nutritional deficiency disorders were more prevalent among boys than girls but the prevalence of night blindness and koilonychia was higher among the girls than boys.

Special programmes need to be formulated at the local level by visiting doctors and health service providers for the reduction in nutritional deficiency disorders among the target group and nutritional status of school-age children should be the matter of concern for policy makers.