Can We Do it?

Aarthy Rajashree, KarThiKeyan, Neenu Sadanandan, Ramya, RavinKumar, Shyam

• Malnutrition(undernutrition)is characterized by the Introduction
imbalance between the body's needs and the intake of
protein, energy, and micronutrients, which can lead to
syndromes of deficiency, frequent infections and
resultant disorders.
• Causes of malnutrition are multi-factorial. Its consorts are
poverty, disturbed family structure, ignorance and
despair.
• The nutritional status of slum children is said to be the
worst amongst all urban groups, and is even poorer than
the rural average. There is the lack of any significant
improvement over the year in this population.
• Malnutrition is more widespread than many suspect and
with one out of every 3 children affected in developing
countries.
• Malnutrition undermines the productivity and abilities of
entire societies.
• 226 Million Children less than 5yrs of age in developing
countries are malnourished.
• Malnutrition contributes to more than half of the nearly 12
million under 5 deaths in developing countries each year.
• Malnutrition is frequently a part of vicious cycle that
includes poverty and disease.
 Poverty

Disease Nutrition
Justification

• Malnutrition is a perennial health problem afflicting the

poor and social excluded. There is scarcity of
published data reporting the trends in prevalence of
malnutrition in urban slums.

• While pace of urbanization is increasing at a faster rate,

corresponding measures to safeguard the health and
nutrition of the slum-dwellers are lacking.

• Many national programmes & health education

programmes– both face-to-face and mass media has
been going on for many years - effect of health
education on the community and sustainability is
limited.

• So this study aims to assess malnutrition among urban

slum children.
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• According to WHO’s fact sheet Malnutrition and Water-related
Diseases “Malnutrition is a major health problem, especially in
developing countries. The effect of malnutrition on susceptibility
to infectious diarrhoea are reinforcing elements of the same
vicious circle, especially amongst children in developing
countries.”

• In the second National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2) report,

almost half of children under three years of age (47%) were
underweight, these results can not be extrapolated to the urban
slums.Countrywide data for the prevalence of malnutrition in
urban slums is lacking. In the NFHS-2 report, undernutrition was
higher in rural areas than in urban areas

• ICDS nutrition intervention programmes achieved better coverage

of the target population and led to a significant decline in
malnutrition.ICDS-Anganwadi Centres play an important role in
alleviating undernutrition(Tandon)
Materials and Methodology
• The locale: HUDCO Colony Slum, Peelamedu, Coimbatore

• Study population: Children under the age of five years

• Sample size: 25 Children

• Study design: Cross-sectional, interventional.

• Inclusion criteria: All children of preschool age ( 59 months)

• Exclusion criteria: Children who are not of preschool age

> 59 months,children who have not resided in the locality for the
past one month, and who are temporarily staying

• Tools: Interview schedule

• Anthropometry: Height and weight were measured
adhering to standard procedures

• Newly released WHO reference data on child growth has

been used to assess malnutrition .Children were plotted on
these charts to assess the degree of malnutrition.

• Methods of intervention: Health education using charts on

the topics.

• Method of evaluation: Comparison of results of pre-

intervention and post-intervention surveys
RESULTS
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Discussion
• Breast Feeding
• Weaning
• Colustrum
• Feeding During Illness
• Usage of feeding Bottles
• Primary Health Services
• ICDS
• Educational Status (Gupta)
• Socio-Economic Status
• Environments and sanitation
• Survey Result
Suggestions & Limitations
• Cross sectional study

• Study population

• Time constraint

• No control group to compare and contrast the results

• Sustainability

• Community mobilization &community participation

• Legacy of inequality and deprivation is passed on to the

next generation unless intervened
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