WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Radhika S.*, Ananda Vaishnavi P., Aruna P., Anisha V. and Dr. Y. Narsimha Rao

ABSTRACT

Introduction: A thorough knowledge of children's health and development requires evaluating the nutritional state of boys and girls in schools, in addition to the educational and professional backgrounds of their parents. Early intervention is made possible, optimum growth is encouraged, academic performance is improved, public health policy is informed, socioeconomic disparities are addressed, health education is supported, and program efficacy is assessed. Such evaluations must be carried out in order to raise a generation that is healthier, more intelligent, and equitable. Methods and Material: This was a prospective observational study conducted on 300 students at YVSR &YVR ZPHS Uppalapadu (V), Narasaraopet(M), Andhra Pradesh, India. General Information of the Subjects age, family size, literacy, type of family, income level have been taken into consideration for the study, tabulated and results are given. Anthropometric Assessment of Males and Females these measurements are an important aspect to know individual body composition. After entering the data into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, basic statistical procedures were used to do statistical analysis and provide frequencies and percentages. Results were Analyzed using SPSS 19.0 version. Results: There were 300 subjects from government secondary schools covered. The children were in the age range of 10 to 15. Of the 178 males in the research area, 70 (23.34) are of normal weight and 108 (36.6) are underweight. Of the 122 females, 41 (13.6) are of normal weight and 81 (27) are underweight. The overall prevalence of underweight in the schoolchildren is found 108 (36.6) in males and 81 (27%) in females. The overall prevalence of malnutrition in school-age children in the current study area among males, it is 91 (30.3%) among females, it is 70 (23.36%). Out of the 300 school-age children in the current study, 25.3% of the male participants had Grade-I malnutrition, 3.4% had Grade-II malnutrition, and 1.66% had overall Grade-III malnutrition. In contrast, among the female participants, 15.3% had Grade-I, 6.67% had Grade-II, and 1.3% had overall Grade-III malnutrition. Conclusion: In this study we discovered malnutrition is due to lack of social awareness about the nutritional requirements and dietary interactions to the parents. The government sector and the education department specifically need to look at the dietary needs of children. To prevent morbid conditions caused by malnutrition, all children should undergo routine clinical examinations as part of their education. It is necessary to provide health education to both parents and school teachers.