No abstract

The relationship between work output and anthropometric, biochemical, and socioeconomic varables was studied in 57 male industrial workers engaged in the production of detonator fuses. These workers were studied for 3 months and their daily work output was carefully measured. Work output was measured in terms of the number of fuses produced per day. Clinical and biochemical examination indicated that their current nutritional status was adequate. Among the parameters studied only body weight, height, and lean body weight were significantly correlated with work output. Body weight and lean body weight were significantly correlated (P less than 0.001) with work output even after removing the influence of height by partial correlation. Total daily work output was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) in those with higher body weight and lean body weight. The rate of work was also higher in the higher body weight group

The growth pattern of 677 rural Hyderabad boys aged between 13 and 18 years was studied over a year (1977-78) to obtain annual increments. These boys had earlier been studied over a four-year period (1965-69). Height for age at 5 years in relation to Boston standards was used to classify these subjects into four nutritional categories. The group that had experienced severe growth retardation in early life achieved a peak height velocity (6.9 cm/yr) similar to that of British boys (7.3 cm/yr), though the event was postponed by 2 years--from 14 years to 16 years. Height growth from 5 years to 17.5 years (62 cm) was comparable with that of Western boys (63 to 66 cm). However, increase in weight was lower (29 kg) than in Western boys (44 to 48 kg). Height deficits observed at age 5 continued into adolescence and weight deficits increased. As a consequence, the group that was shortest at age 5 continued to be shorter and lighter at 17-18 years of age.

Clinical nutritional status and physical work capacity at submaximal level were assessed in 96 rural Hyderbad boys, 14 to 17 years of age. Data available on the previous nutritional status of these children when they were 5 years of age were used for classifying them into different nutritional grades. Factors responsible for undernutrition childhood continued to operate on later growth. Both height and weight at 5 years correlated well (P less than 0.001) with current height and weight. About 64% (P less than 0.001) of the variation in physical work capacity at a heart rate of 170/min (physical work capacity 170 kpm/min) could be explained by the differences in current body weight; habitual physical activity explained another 10% (P less than 0.001) of the variation. Malnutrition in early childhood continuing into adolescence could be considered to have adversely affected their work capacity by influencing their body weight. However, even severe undernutrition during childhood had no effect on work performance, when expressed in terms of unit weight. But for the same work load, undernourished subjects had to use significantly higher heart rate at moderate work level as compared to their counterparts.