Introduction: Under nutrition is still the major problem in our
country. Since young children are vulnerable to social and health
hazards which can influence their growth and development, they
deserve special attention by administration, general population
and the family. Hence the present was undertaken to study the
prevalence of under-nutrition among the pre-school children and
to suggest measures for prevention and control.
Material and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted
among pre-school children in a selected area of Ranga Reddy
District over one year with the objectives to find out the
prevalence of under-nutrition, determine association with sociodemographic
factors and with some epidemiological factors and
suggest measures for prevention and control of under nutrition
based on finding.
Results: A total of 592 pre-school children aged 2-5 years
were selected. Among the study population prevalence of under
nutrition was 48.2%, 158 (26.69%) were under weight and
128 (21.62%) were severely under weight. Proportion of under
nutrition was higher in 49-60 months, Hindu children (52.62%),
class IV socio-economic-status(61.11%) and children from
nuclear families, with illiterate mothers (52.84%),employed
mothers (66.67%), illiterate fathers(54.27%),unemployed fathers
(58.33%), family size of 4 or more (62.69%), birth spacing < 3
years(50.74%), prelacteal fed babies (55.40 %),not exclusive
breast fed(55.05%), weaning delayed >10 months (60.25%) and
unimmunized children (73.33%).
Conclusion: It was observed that 48.2% of the children were
undernourished more in above 36 months of age, Hindus and
class IV. Parent’s literacy, socio-economic status and family size
had an impact on nutritional status of children besides faulty
feeding practices, partial immunization, frequent diarrhea.