Abstract

Children are the future of the country. In India, children under 15 years of age constitute about 40% of the population. School children constitute a large pool of children of this age group. Nutritional status is a major component of school health services. The objectives of the study are (1) To assess the prevalence of stunting among school children of Government Urdu Higher Primary Schools (GUHPS) in Azad Nagar and its surrounding area, Bangalore; (2) To assess anthropometric indices among children; and (3) To make recommendations to the concerned authorities regarding the nutritional needs assessment. The present study was a one-time cross sectional study conducted in the three Government Urdu Higher Primary schools (GUHPS) of Azad Nagar and its surrounding area. A total of 500 children were included in the study. A complete physical examination of the children was done, and deviations from normal were recorded. The prevalence of stunting in the school children was 40.4% (202). The prevalence of stunting in boys was 41.47% (124) and in girls was 38.81% (78). The prevalence of stunting was more in boys compared to girls (41.47 versus 38.81%). In the present study, nutritional status was found highly related to the personal hygiene and socio-economic status of children. Main emphasis should be given towards nutrition education, personal hygiene education, and health education apart from the regular educational activities in the community.

Key words: Stunting, school children, nutrition education.