PROJECT PROPOSAL

NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF

PRESCHOOL (1-3 YEARS) CHILDREN

NAME: ………………….

ENROLMENT NO: …………………..

SUBJECT CODE: DNHE 4

 INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE OF THE STUDY

The health status of the people is the wealth of a nation and nutrition is one of the most

important pre-requisites for good health. Child malnutrition is a wide spread public health

problem having international consequences because good nutrition is an essential

determinant for their well-being. The nutrition of infants and young children are causing

great concern among social scientists and planners these days, since child is the chief

victim of interplay of nutritional, socio-economic and health factors that cause

malnutrition. Health and nutrient investments may be particularly important forms of

human capital investments for low-income populations, including those in developing

countries (Mincer, 1974; Becker, 1975; Grossman, 1972; Edwards and Grossman, 1978;

Behrman, 1988; Behrman and Deolalikar, 1987). The quality of future human resource is

determined largely by the investment made for the development of child population. The

growing interest on child health and nutrition has been justified on many ways. In most

developing countries, child health from a medical point of view, both in absolute terms as

well as in relation to the total population, is primarily more resource allocation to meet

improved child health status.

Nutritional status of the children started worsening in the second year of their life. The

reports by United Nations (2007) confirm that the prevalence of moderate and severe

forms of malnutrition is high in children aged 13 to 36 months. Faulty infant feeding

practices are the root cause of the appallingly high prevalence of malnutrition, apart from

extreme poverty in some segments of our population (Malhothra, 2001).

Almost 47 percent of mothers initiated semi solid foods only by six months. This was an

1
important reason for inadequate intake of nutrients by the children. No mother reported

that the child was being fed with homemade weaning food (Aneja et al., 2000). Delayed

initiation of breast feeding, deprivation from colostrums and improper weaning are

significant risk factors for undernutrition among under five children (Kumar, 2006).

Studies in urban slums of Delhi showed 44 percent of mothers continue the traditional

practices of discarding the colostrums and not feeding it to the child (Aneja et al., 2000).

An essential requisite to evolve viable strategies to mitigate health and nutritional

problems of slum dwellers is baseline information. The present study was an attempt in

this direction.

Janakpuri with largest agglomeration of slums will be identified as a potential area. The

study will has therefore been conducted in the urban slums of Janakpuri subcity, with the

main focus on assessing the nutritional status of preschool children.

2
 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The specific objective of the study is to analyze the nutritional status of preschool

children in slum areas of Janakpuri subcity, New Delhi.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a descriptive study to analyze the nutritional status of preschool children in slum

areas of Janakpuri subcity, New Delhi. Two slums areas will be randomly selected and a

comprehensive list of the registered slum areas in this ward will be obtained from the

local government secretariat in New Delhi. Parents of attending under-2 children will be

contacted and informed for their consent.

Sample Selection

Total 100 young mothers and their preschool children (150) will be selected for the

proposed study.

Data Collection

Data collection will be carried out with a socio-economic and nutritional survey based on

Gomez Classification (1956) and Kuppuswamy (1981).

Data collection will also be carried out with a clinical nutrition survey.

Clinical Assessment

Clinical examination has always been and remains an important practical method for

assessing nutritional status (Jelliffe, 1989). Clinical examination also helps to assess the

level of health of individuals or of population groups in relation to the food they

consume. It involves external examination of the body for changes in superficial

3
epithelial tissues especially hair, face, skin, gums, teeth, eyes and lips with the help of a

qualified physician, using a clinical assessment schedule (Appendix).

Data Analysis

In this study, statistical analysis of the data will be done using students t-test, Chi square,

and coefficient of correlation. Chi square test will be used to analyze the association

between variables. Besides percentages, mean and standard deviation will also be used in

data analysis.

4
 REFERENCES

 D.DJ ellife (1996) – Assessment of the Nutritional Status of the Community.

WHO, Geneva, 50-76.

 Robin Peth Pierre (1998): the NICHD Study of Early Child Care. NICHD

 Aneja, B. Singh, P. Kapil, U. et al. 2000. Etiological factors of malnutrition

among Infants in two urban slums of Delhi. Indian Pediatrics. 38: 160-164.

 Malhotra, M. 2003. Effect of dietary habits on prevalence of anemia in pregnant

women of Delhi. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research 29, 2:73–78.

 Kumar, K. Sinha, R. K. 2007. Understanding women’s nutritional status in urban

India: A Comparative study of slum versus non slum dwellers. International

Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai.1-20.