Comparative Study of Malnutrition among Schoolchildren of Rural and Urban Territories of Bareilly District, Uttar Pradesh, India

Singh, Anuj; Kumar Sharma, Ashish; Kumar, Amit; Singh, Ankit; Khan, Swati; Singh Chauhan, Neha

doi:10.22038/rcm.2022.62837.1388

Comparative Study of Malnutrition among Schoolchildren of Rural and Urban Territories of Bareilly District, Uttar Pradesh, India

Document Type : Original article

Authors

Anuj Singh ¹

Ashish Kumar Sharma ²

Amit Kumar ³

Ankit Singh ³

Swati Khan ⁴

Neha Singh Chauhan ⁵

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, United Institute of Medical Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.

² Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine Goverment Medical College, Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, India

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, United Institute of Medical Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India

⁴ Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India

⁵ Senior Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, United Institute of Medical Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India.

10.22038/rcm.2022.62837.1388

Abstract

Introduction: Despite an agricultural country, India confronting malnutrition as a major public health challenge, where every second child is at risk of malnutrition. The nation ranking second in population with disproportionate rural and urban demography, further poor penetration of government assisted programs in remote, underserved areas fuelling the malnutrition in rural areas.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Community Medicine of Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital. Total 465 schoolchildren in rural and urban areas of Bareilly district were screened for malnutrition and their socio-demographic profiles were studied.
Results: Overall, the prevalence of malnutrition in schoolchildren of Bareilly district was 40.2%. Fraction contributed by urban and rural territories was 35.2% and 43%, respectively. The prevalence of malnutrition was found higher in rural area as compared to urban area and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The study shows 43% prevalence of malnutrition in rural areas and under nutrition was the main cause of malnutrition attributed by poverty and illiteracy. However, urban areas reported 7.8% lower prevalence of malnutrition, but alarming trends of overweight and obesity 15.2%.

Keywords

Malnutrition

Undernutrition

Rural and urban area

Schoolchildren