Background: Nutrition education is defined as instruction or training intended to lead to acquired nutrition-related knowledge and/or nutrition-related skills and be provided in individual. It is also demonstrably capable of improving dietary behaviour and nutrition status on its own.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the urban and rural ICDS projects of Bhopal district, Madhya Pradesh from July 2014 to June 2015. Three types of instruments were used: NIPCCD Suposhan Guide, a structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurements including weight, height and MUAC. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel and was analyzed by using EPI Info version 7.Results: As per Z score 7.9% children had normal weight (Z score above -1SD), 31.7% had mild underweight (Z score between -1SD to -2SD), 40.7% had moderate underweight (Z score between -2SD to -3SD) and 19.6% had severe underweight (Z score below -3SD). Reduction in moderate underweight was from 39.2% to 33.9% and in severe underweight it was from 19.3% to 15.2% in urban area. In the rural area reduction in moderate underweight was from 44.1% to 36.6% and in the severe underweight group it was from 20.4% to 9.7%.Conclusions: In our nutrition education intervention we found that a well planned, short, simple, focused and based on locally available food items delivered with little empathy can do a lot even in weaker sections of the society.

Background: Measles is one of the most infectious diseases known to humankind and an important cause of death and disability among children worldwide. In 2010, the World Health Assembly set milestones towards global measles eradication, to be reached by 2015. One of the milestones is to Increase in routine coverage with the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) for children aged 1 year to ≥90% nationally and ≥80% in every district.Methods: A community based cross sectional study was carried out in rural area of Bhopal district, central India from September 2014 to November 2014. The WHO EPI 30-cluster survey methodology was used as sampling method. A pre designed and pre tested questionnaire was used to collect information on immunization coverage. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel and was analyzed by using EPI Info version 7.Results: The mean age of study subjects was 17.7 months with SD of 3.64. Out of total 210 subjects 57.2% were boys and 42.8 % were girls. Our study findings suggest that 92% of the children were vaccinated for MCV1 vaccine and 8 % were not received MCV1 vaccine. The association of place of delivery with MCV1 vaccination status was found statistically significant (P <0.001).Conclusions: We found high measles vaccination coverage in the field practice area as compared to other surveys. Main reasons found behind noncompliance were unawareness about Universal Immunization programme, lack of information about Measles and its complications, away from home on the session day, long distance of session site from home.

Abstract

Background: In our country the state of under-nutrition was recognized/diagnosed too late or not at all, and therefore the effort to alleviate undernutrition was also delayed. The timely recognition of “at risk” children (showing growth faltering/decline) liable for undernutrition can avert wasting; stunting and prevent severe malnutrition due to concomitant infections and other complications.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was carried out in urban and rural area of Bhopal district, Madhya Pradesh, among under-5 children attending anganwadi centres. All the children enrolled among selected urban and rural AWCs were taken as study population. Primary information regarding “at risk” children (showing growth faltering/growth decline) was obtained by reviewing last one year growth monitoring records available.Results: There were total 10 anganwadi centres visited and growth monitoring record of last one year was analysed. There were total 1230 children enrolled in anganwadi centres under study. As per the available record we found that 416 (33.82%) of the total children enrolled in the anganwadi centres under study were “at risk” of malnutrition. The magnitude of at risk children was almost double in the urban area (43.24%) as compare to the rural area (23%). This difference was found statistically significant. Gender wise distribution of “at risk” children shows that there is marginal difference in the magnitude of “at risk” status among boys (34.57%) and girls (33.06%) and similar difference was found in urban and rural anganwadi centres under study.Conclusions: The study conclude that children belong to 2 to 4 year age group are “at risk” of under nutrition. Both the genders are equally susceptible of under nutrition though children belong to urban area had more risk as compare to rural area.