Volume : 3, Issue : 2, February - 2014

Clinical Nutritional Status of Indian Girls in Deprived and Disadvantaged Communities: A Special Reference to Select Macro And Micro NUTRIENTS

M. Rajendra Nath Babu, Dr G. Nagamani

Abstract :

To assess clinical nutritional and micronutrient status profiles, a sample of 362 girls from six rural communities (n= 120) including scheduled castes (harizan n=90) and tribes (n= 152) were examined. Heights, weights, food intakes and serum micronutrient status were assessed using standard anthropometric, diet survey and biochemical methods. Findings indicate that all the girls studied are far below the ICMR and NCHS standards for heights and weights. Rural girls are better than tribal and harizan girls. Harizan girls are worst affected. Food intakes of the girls in all the three communities are far below the ICMR Recommendations. Significantly low values are recorded for serum protein and albumin. The findings suggest that there is an urgent need for nutrition intervention and education programmes for rural and other socially deprived adolescent girls to support the growth and safe guard the mother child life cycle.