Anthropometric Assessment of Nutritional Status among Under-five Children Attending Government Immunization Centres in Bankura Municipality, West Bengal

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition, a major public health problem in India, is one of the major reasons behind under-fivemorbidities and mortality. The NFHS-5 data (2019-21) shows a significant prevalence of underweight, stuntingand wasting at national, state and district levels. Identifying the problem and the reasons behind it can help usplanning necessary actions for reducing the burden of malnutrition in days to come.Objectives: To assess the nutritional status and to explore the different risk factors among under-five childrenattending government immunization centres in Bankura municipality, West BengalMaterials and methods: A total of 163 under-five children were included in the study. After receiving informedconsent from the accompanying person, they were interviewed and anthropometric measurements of the children,like height, weight, MUAC, were taken.Results: The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting, were 22.1%, 15.9% and 27.6% respectively. Differentfactors associated with undernutrition included socioeconomic status, mother’s employment status, maternal ageat childbirth, type of delivery, child-feeding practices like colostrum feeding, time of initiation of complementaryfeeding.Conclusions: A significant proportion of under-five children were found to be underweight, stunted or wasted.The majority of the associated factors identified were modifiable, and hence awareness generation in commonpeople may reduce the burden of undernutrition in under-five population.