JALAJA KUMARI. DIVI * & Dr. B. BABITHA

*FacultyDepartment of Foods & Nutritional Sciences,

Acharya Nagarjuna University.

Healthy children grow into healthy adults. A healthy and

productive population is an asset to any nation. The

children below 16years of age constitute almost 40%of

the population in our country.

The school age period is nutritionally significant because

this is the prime time to build up body stores of

nutrients in preparation for rapid growth of

adolescence. This period is quite vulnerable and

considered to be special risk group.

Study Design: stratified random sampling technique.

Sample Size: forty ninety school children of both sex (280 girl, 210 boys).

Study Area: School children from Guntur City in three urban slums viz., Sarada Colony, A.T. Agraharam, and Pata Guntur.

Study Tool and Data Collection: Pre-tested questionnaire was administered to record information regarding anthropometric (height and weight), Clinical Examination , socioeconomic status, and dietary intake in 24 hrs recall method.

* ICMR (1990) ** NCHS (1987)

The increase in height from 6 to 12 years was 26.7 cm in girls and 24.4 cm in boys.

On comparison of recorded height of girls and boys with ICMR and NCHS, height

ranged between 90 to 95.8 percent in girls and 90 to 93.5 percent in case of boys.

* ICMR (1990) ** NCHS (1987)

The increase in weight from 6 to 12 yeas was 13.65 kg in case of girls and 10.9 kg in boys.

The present study reported a high

incidence of malnutrition as revealed by

their anthropometry. However increment

in height and weight were more in girls

than boys although intake of foods and

nutrients did not show large variation

among boys and girls. Study reveals gross

deficiency in dietary intake of school

going children of urban slums.

Thank you