Authors:

Abstract

Introduction: The three conventional indices were insufficient to measureoverall prevalence of child undernutrition and hence it was proposed to construct a Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF).

Objectives: To evaluate the overall burden of undernutrition using CIAF in primary school children of a rural area in West Bengal, India.

Method: A cross sectional study was carried out among 618 children (304 boys and 314 girls) from Government aided primary schools of Bali Gram Panchayat, Arambagh, Hooghly District, West Bengal, India.

Results: Prevalence of undernutrition measured by CIAF was 66.3% in comparison to 32.5% stunting, 57.1% underweight and 40.5% wasting, three conventional parameters.

Conclusions: CIAF is considered as a single measure which provides the overall burden of under-nutrition in the studied population and it represents the higher prevalence when compared with the three conventional measures used separately. 

Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2021; 50(2): 194-199

Keywords: Stunting, Underweight, Wasting, CIAF, Primary school children, West Bengal, India