Nutritional status of under 5 children belonging to tribal population living in riverine (Char) areas of Dibrugarh district, Assam

Abstract

Context:Assam's main lifeline, the Brahmaputra river, braided nature created numerous sand bars and islands known as chars/sapories. They are home to more than 3 million people. Over 90% of the cultivated land on the river islands is flood-prone; the flood leaves the islands completely separated from mainland, preventing access to health infrastructure and services. Aims: To assess the nutritional status of under 5 children residing in the char areas of Dibrugarh district and to identify the factors influencing their nutritional status.Settings and Design:A community-based cross-sectional study conducted in the riverine areas of Dibrugarh district of Assam.Materials and Methods:Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometry. Undernutrition was classified using World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Z- score system. Data collection was done by house to house visit of all chars using proportionate allocation.Statistical Analysis Used:Rates, ratios, proportions, and chi-square test.Results:Overall prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting was 29%, 30.4%, and 21.6%, respectively. Prevalence of underweight and stunting was less than the prevalence of underweight (36.4%) and stunting (46.5%) in Assam, but the prevalence of wasting was more than that of Assam (13.7%) as observed in National Family Health Survey-3. Significant association was observed between the prevalence of undernutrition and socioeconomic status, literacy status of parents, infant, and young child feeding practices and size of the family (P < 0.05).Conclusions:Special focus is needed for nutritional improvement of under 5 living in char areas to prevent preventable morbidities and to achieve optimum development.

Nutritional assessment of under five children in a rural belt of southern Rajasthan,India

“…Similar findings were observed by other studies conducted by Sukla P et al [20] at Chhattisgarh, Mamulwar MS et al [21] in Pune and Islam S et al [22] in a tribal area of Dibrugarh district of Assam which found the prevalence rate of underweight between 29.00% to 36.00% respectively. While in contrast, the study done by Radhamani KV et al [23] showed the prevalence rate of underweight as 14.60% at North Kerala.…”

Chronic undernutrition amongst under-five in an urban slum of Central India

“…Nayak RK et al (38.2%), Islam S et al (30.4%), Sapkota VP et al (37%) reported similar prevalence of stunting. [10][11][12] But it differed from prevalence of stunting in Maharashtra (44%) according to NFHS-3.…”

Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) among Sonowal Kachari tribal preschool children of flood effected region of Assam, India

“…Moreover, the preschool children require serious attention because it is the period of rapid physical growth and development, which increase the vulnerability of undernutrition in population (WHO 1995). Natural calamities like flood, affect the children health in a very adverse way with a continuous phenomenon and it severely effect on child nutritional status in Assam (Islam et al 2014). Assam's main lifeline is surrounded by various rivers and they cause catastrophic flooding.…”

“…Assam's main lifeline is surrounded by various rivers and they cause catastrophic flooding. Over 90% of the cultivated land and villages are floodprone (Islam et al 2014). The flood leaves the villagers completely isolated from the mainland, thereby preventing access to health infrastructure and services.…”