Science Journal Publication
Science Journal of Sociology and Anthropology
Short Communication
Leanness among pre-school children of Bali Gram Panchayat, Arambag, West
Bengal, India.
Gopal Chandra Mandal1 and Kaushik Bose2
1
2
Reader in Anthropology, Bangabasi College, Kolkata, India.
Associate Professor in Anthropology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, India.
Address for Correspondence: Dr. Kaushik Bose, Department of Anthropology, Vidyasagar University,
Midnapore – 721 102, West Bengal, INDIA.
Key Words: Leanness; India; Bengal; Pre-school children
Abstract
Malnutrition is a problem in developing countries including India. Anthropometry is a single tool
to assess its magnitude. The estimation of leanness may be one of the indicators. This study was
undertaken at 20 ICDS centers in Arambagh, West Bengal, India on 894 children. The
prevalence of leanness among girls was very high (34.6%) in comparison to boys (25.6%). There
was significant association between overall rate of leanness and sex of the studied children (χ2 =
3.95; df =2, p < 0.05). Our results demonstrated that these pre-school children had rates of
leanness which was indicative of nutritional stress
Introduction
Undernutrition in childhood was and is one
of the reasons behind the high child mortality
rates observed in developing countries. It is
highly detrimental for the future of those
children who survive (Pelletier et al., 1994).
Anthropometric examination is an almost
mandatory tool in any research on health and
nutritional condition in childhood and the
study of nutritional status is of great
importance for the understanding of the social
well being in a population (Martin-Prevel et
al., 2000). The Integrated Child Development
Service (ICDS) program, which now covers
almost all development blocks in India, is
potentially well-poised to address some of the
underlying causes of present undernutrition
Corresponding Author
kaushikbose@cantab.net
e-mail:
banda@vsnl.net
and
(Gragnolati et al., 2006).
Malnutrition is a problem at varying
proportion in developing countries including
India and anthropometry is a single tool to
assess its magnitude in children and
adolescents (WHO, 1989). The estimation of
leanness may be one of the indicators.
Our cross-sectional study was
undertaken
at
20
Integrated
Child
Development Services (ICDS) centers in Bali
Gram Panchayat, Arambagh, West Bengal,
India. All children (aged 2-5 years old) living
in these areas are enrolled at these centers. A
total of 894 Hindu children (boys = 441; girls
= 453) were studied. Most of the families
were dependent on agriculture as their
livelihood. The measurements (triceps
skinfold in mm.) were taken following
1
standard methods (Lohman et al., 1988) by
the first author (GCM). The World Health
Organization (WHO, 2007) recommended
cut-off points for triceps skinfold (mm) by age
and sex were used to estimate the leanness of
the studied preschool children. Appropriate
ethical permission was obtained before the
study was conducted.
Results and discussion
The overall (age combined) prevalence
of leanness among girls (34.6%) was very
high in comparison to boys (25.6%). The
highest rates of leanness in both sexes were
found among children aged 2 years (80.2% in
boys and 81.5% in girls). These rates
gradually decreased with increasing age.
Among boys, the highest rate (80.2%) was at
age 2 years whereas the lowest rate (8.7%)
was observed at 6 years. In the case of girls,
these values were 81.5% and 20.2%,
respectively. Age specific prevalence of
leanness among girls, at all ages, showed
higher values compared to boys. The χ2 – test
revealed that there was significant association
between
overall rate of leanness (age
combined) and sex of the studied children (χ2
= 3.95; df =2, p < 0.05). There was a
significant relationship of leanness with sex
among these children at all age groups. The
gradual decrease in leanness with ascending
age among these children indicated that
accumulation of body fat, as measured by
triceps skinfold, increased with increasing
age.
In
conclusion,
our
results
demonstrated that these pre-school children
had rates of leanness which was indicative of
nutritional stress. This stress was more acute
among girls. Since studies dealing with
leanness among Indian pre-school children are
lacking,
we
recommend
that
more
investigations, similar to the present one be
undertaken from different regions of India
among urban as well as rural populations.
Such studies would generate very valuable
data which could be used not only for
comparative purposes but also to formulate
effective health promotion and intervention
programmes.
Acknowledgements:
The authorities at ICDS Centres as
well as the children who were measured are
gratefully thanked. GCM received partial
financial assistance from University Grants
Commission, Government of India.
References
1.
Gragnolati M, Brednkamp C, Das Gupta M, Lee
Y-K and Shekar M (2006). ICDS and persistent
undernutrition : strategies to enhance the impact.
Economic and political Weekly, March 25, pp
1193-1201.
2.
Pelletier DL (1994). The relationship between
child anthropometry and mortality in developing
countries: implications for policy, programs and
future research. J. Nutr. 124 : 2047-812.
3.
Martin-Prevel Y, Delpeuch F, Trassac P,
Massamba JP, Adoua-Oyila G, Couderet K and
Treche S (2000). Determination in the nutritional
status of young children and their mothers in
Brazzaville, Congo, following the 1994
devaluation of the CFA franc. Bull WHO. 78:
108-118.
4.
Lohman TG, Roche AF and Martorell R (1988).
Anthropometric Standardization
Reference Manual. Chicago: Human Kinetics
Books.
5.
World Health Organization (1989). Global
nutritional status, anthropometric indicators
update 1989. Geneva : WHO.
6.
WHO
Child
Growth
Standards:
head
circumference-for-age, arm circumference-forage,
triceps skinfold-for-age and subscapular
skinfold-for-age. Methods and
Development
(2007).
World
Health
Organization. Geneva.
2
Table 1: Prevalence of leanness by age and sex among the 2-5 years old ICDS children of Bali
Gram Panchayat, Arambag, West Bengal.
Age
(years)
2***
3*
4**
5**
Total*
Boys
(N=441)
-2SD
(Moderate)
55
(59.3)
17
(13.6)
9
(8.2)
9
(7.8)
89
(20.2)
-3SD
(Severe)
19
(20.9)
3
(2.4)
1
(0.9)
1
(0.9)
24
(5.4)
Overall
73
(80.2)
20
(16.0)
10
(9.1)
10
(8.7)
113
(25.6)
Girls
(N=453)
-2SD
(Moderate)
54
(58.7)
28
(26.4)
23
(17.6)
21
(16.9)
126
(27.8)
-3SD
(Severe)
21
(22.8)
2
(1.9)
4
(3.0)
4
(3.2)
31
(6.8)
Overall
75
(81.5)
30
(28.3)
27
(20.6)
25
(20.2)
157
(34.6)
P ercen tag e o f lean n ess
Percentages are given in parentheses. * = p < 0.05; ** = p < 0.025; *** = p < 0.01.
F ig u re 1. p revalen ce o f lean n ess b y ag e an d
sex
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2
3
Ag e in years
4
5
B oy s
G irls
3