Nutritional status of pre-school children among different socio-economic status in urban area of Dhaka city

Abstract

Background: Nutritional status is the result of complex interactions between food consumption, overall health status and care practices. At the individual level inadequate or inappropriate feeding patterns lead to malnutrition. The objective of the study is to assess the Nutritional status of pre-school children among different socio-economic status in urban area of Dhaka city. Methodology The study was a comparative cross sectional study. Pre-school children aged 3-5 years were selected by their socio economic status in different household and slum of Dhaka City by stratified cluster sampling. The anthropometric data (height, weight and MUAC) of pre-school child was taken individually. Data on food intake was collected; edited, entered and cleaned by using suitable data entry software (SPSS, version 17). Data on height, weight, dietary intake, personal hygiene were compared among four socio-economic groups. Continuous variables were assessed for normal distribution. Chi-squared test was performed for categorical variables. One way ANOVA was done to compare means. Result: In present study, among different socio-economic status in urban area of Dhaka city the average expenditure of upper SES, upper middle SES, lower middle SES and lower SES were BDT 64077±9354, BDT 31475±6298, BDT 4737±496 and BDT 13147±13673 respectively. About 5% of children from upper SES and 1% of children from upper middle SES were overweight. In upper SES 93% and 89% of children from upper middle SES were normal in weight whereas only 46% and 49% of children were mild underweight in lower middle and lower SES respectively. About 84%, 75%, 70% of children from upper SES, upper middle SES and lower middle SES respectively were normal in height. Significant association has been found in relation of mother’s working status and children nutritional status. Moderate to severe underweight, stunting, wasting and thinness were 50%, 67%, 64% and 50% respectively among no working mother which was higher than working mother. According to multiple regression analysis, it was found that age, family income and housing status of the family were significantly associated with WAZ of study subjects (P=<0.001, P=<0.001, P=<0.001). Total energy (Kcal/day) among upper SES and upper middle SES were 800±215 and 770±184 respectively. Moreover, intake of total Protein (g/day) among lower middle SES and lower SES were 22±6.41 and 16±6.10 respectively. Conclusion: The study gives us the picture of the severity of malnutrition among the children of Dhaka city in different socio-economic group. Because of lack of awareness and inadequate food consumption their nutritional status was very poor and their average nutrient intake was also lower than reference value.