Open AccessMothers literacy status and its association with feeding practices and PEM among 1–5 year aged children in southern part of India, Mysore
Author(s) -
Amresh Kumar,
Raghavendraswamy Koppad,
N C Ashok,
B Madhu,
Dinesh Kumar,
Muruli Dhar,
SV Chandrashekar
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
asian pacific journal of tropical disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.208
H-Index - 33
ISSN - 2222-1808
DOI - 10.1016/s2222-1808(12)60233-3
Subject(s) - wasting , underweight , anthropometry , medicine , malnutrition , cluster sampling , cross sectional study , pediatrics , environmental health , cluster (spacecraft) , literacy , demography , population , obesity , overweight , psychology , pedagogy , pathology , sociology , computer science , programming language , endocrinology
Objective: To estimate the prevalence of PEM in children aged 1 to 5 years and to study the\udassociation of mothers educational status with feeding practices and nutritional status of children\udaged 1 to 5 years. Methods: A cross sectional study of 600 children of 1-5 year age group in\udurban slums of Mysore city was carried out with cluster random sampling method. The data\udwas collected by using a predesigned and pretested proforma. Assessment of the nutritional\udstatus was done by clinical examination and anthropometry. WHO child growth standards, 2006\udreference data were used to classify malnutrition. Results: Among 600 children examined, 285\ud(47.5%) were males and 315 (52.5%) were females. Exclusive breast feeding was given in 295 (49.2%)\udof children. Pre lacteal feeds and top milk feeds were given in 123 (20.5%) and 108 (18%) of children\udrespectively. The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was observed to be 31.3%,\ud42.2% and 14.2% respectively. About 12.8% of mothers were illiterate and this was significantly\udassociated with feeding practices and nutritional status of children. Conclusions: Mothers\udliteracy status plays important role in feeding practices of their children which inturn is an\udimportant factor in determining the nutritional status of chil