Abstract

Malnutrition continues to be the principal cause of ill-health and pre-mature mortality and morbidity among children in developing world. The present study is an attempt to assess the overall prevalence of undernutrition using composite index of anthropometric failure (CIAF) among school- going children of district Doda in Jammu & Kashmir. Three educational zones - Assar, Bhagwah & Doda - in the district were chosen purposively for collecting the data. A total of 360 school-going children (184 boys and 176 girls) aged 6-14 years were measured. The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) based on three commonly used undernutrition indicators height for age (HAZ), body mass index for age (BMIAZ) and weight for age (WAZ) was used to evaluate the nutritional status of the children following WHO-2007 reference standard. Overall, it was found that for all ages (6 - 14 years) and sexes, the prevalence of stunting (low height for age), wasting (low BMI for age) and underweight (low weight for age) were 21.11 percent, 9.44 percent and 18.89 percent respectively. The odds of stunting (OR = 1.29; 95% CI:0.78-2.15), wasting (OR = 2.75; 95% CI:1.27-5.93) and underweight (OR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.14-5.41) were higher among female children. Results further indicated that the overall CIAF for zone Bhagwah, Assar and Doda were reported as 67.5 percent 48.33 percent, and 33.33 percent respectively. Zone Bhagwah is at higher risk in terms of undernourishment as compared to zone Assar and Doda