Assessment of Nutritional Status of Under Five Children Living in tribal Habitats of Udupi District, Karnataka

Malnutrition is the most widespread condition affecting the health of children, more so among tribals. Tribal children are a neglected section of society and have very poor health indicators when compared to the rest of the population. Malnutrition in early childhood has serious long term consequences, greater risk of disease and early death. The nutritional status of children under the age of five years is considered to provide a good reflection of the nutritional health of  the community, as children are most susceptible to problems of inadequate food intake and diseases, which are the immediate causes of malnutrition. Child malnutrition is recognised as an important public health indicator for monitoring nutritional status and health in populations. Data on child feeding practices will be collected using a pre- structured and pre- tested questionnaire by interviewing mothers. Dietary assessment of the child will be done using a 24-hour dietary recall method. In-depth interviews will be done with the health workers (ASHA, AWW) and the Child Development Project Officer. Focus Group Discussions (FGD) will be done with selected mothers of under five children. The study will be able to estimate the nutritional status among the under five tribal children residing in Udupi district and identify the feeding practices. The utilization of the government scheme, Mathru Poorna will be known.