Prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community-based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in Kolkata, India: findings of a one-year longitudinal study
# Background Stunting, defined as z-score height-for-age (HAZ) \< -2, is an important contributor to the burden of childhood undernutrition among slum-dwelling residents in India’s metropolitan areas. Calcutta Rescue (CR) is a non-governmental organisation that provides medical care and nutrition...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Inishmore Laser Scientific Publishing Ltd
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Global Health Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.21942 |
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| author | Marcello S Scopazzini Violette Raoult Saumya Kuruttuparambil Esther Sulkers |
| author_facet | Marcello S Scopazzini Violette Raoult Saumya Kuruttuparambil Esther Sulkers |
| author_sort | Marcello S Scopazzini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | # Background
Stunting, defined as z-score height-for-age (HAZ) \< -2, is an important contributor to the burden of childhood undernutrition among slum-dwelling residents in India’s metropolitan areas. Calcutta Rescue (CR) is a non-governmental organisation that provides medical care and nutritional support to slum-dwellers in Kolkata, India. CR undertook a study in Liluah Bhagar, an urban slum, to 1) establish the prevalence of undernutrition among children under five years of age, 2) evaluate the impact of a pilot nutritional support programme on growth patterns of a consecutively selected group of stunted children, and 3) identify socio-economic predictors of stunting.
# Methods
For the prevalence assessment (April-June 2018), we conducted anthropometric measurements using standardised World Health Organization (WHO) growth measurements for weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), and weight-for-height (WFH). For the longitudinal study, we recruited stunted children and collected anthropomorphic data every three months for one year (December 2018-December 2019).
# Results
The prevalence assessment of 116 children revealed 59% of stunting, 44% underweight and 12% of wasting. Follow-up of 42 stunted children in a pilot nutritional programme improved stunting over time (*b* =0.07, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.039, *P*\<0.001), with a trend towards clinical improvement at one year. Linear mixed model analysis revealed household income was a negative predictor of stunting (*b* =-0.38, 95% CI -0.66 to -0.09, *P*=0.010).
# Conclusions
This study highlights the burden of undernutrition in marginalised slum-dwelling children in India and the benefits of a pragmatic, education-focused nutritional intervention programme. Further studies are required to determine what predictors other than income are associated with stunting to then determine what interventions are likely to effect long-lasting and sustainable changes to growth in this vulnerable population. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1c9b447cb69f4beebd527cafaf88a4ec |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-1623 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Inishmore Laser Scientific Publishing Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Global Health Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-1c9b447cb69f4beebd527cafaf88a4ec2025-08-20T03:45:24ZengInishmore Laser Scientific Publishing LtdJournal of Global Health Reports2399-16232021-04-01510.29392/001c.21942Prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community-based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in Kolkata, India: findings of a one-year longitudinal studyMarcello S ScopazziniViolette RaoultSaumya KuruttuparambilEsther Sulkers# Background Stunting, defined as z-score height-for-age (HAZ) \< -2, is an important contributor to the burden of childhood undernutrition among slum-dwelling residents in India’s metropolitan areas. Calcutta Rescue (CR) is a non-governmental organisation that provides medical care and nutritional support to slum-dwellers in Kolkata, India. CR undertook a study in Liluah Bhagar, an urban slum, to 1) establish the prevalence of undernutrition among children under five years of age, 2) evaluate the impact of a pilot nutritional support programme on growth patterns of a consecutively selected group of stunted children, and 3) identify socio-economic predictors of stunting. # Methods For the prevalence assessment (April-June 2018), we conducted anthropometric measurements using standardised World Health Organization (WHO) growth measurements for weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), and weight-for-height (WFH). For the longitudinal study, we recruited stunted children and collected anthropomorphic data every three months for one year (December 2018-December 2019). # Results The prevalence assessment of 116 children revealed 59% of stunting, 44% underweight and 12% of wasting. Follow-up of 42 stunted children in a pilot nutritional programme improved stunting over time (*b* =0.07, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.039, *P*\<0.001), with a trend towards clinical improvement at one year. Linear mixed model analysis revealed household income was a negative predictor of stunting (*b* =-0.38, 95% CI -0.66 to -0.09, *P*=0.010). # Conclusions This study highlights the burden of undernutrition in marginalised slum-dwelling children in India and the benefits of a pragmatic, education-focused nutritional intervention programme. Further studies are required to determine what predictors other than income are associated with stunting to then determine what interventions are likely to effect long-lasting and sustainable changes to growth in this vulnerable population.https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.21942 |
| spellingShingle | Marcello S Scopazzini Violette Raoult Saumya Kuruttuparambil Esther Sulkers Prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community-based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in Kolkata, India: findings of a one-year longitudinal study Journal of Global Health Reports |
| title | Prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community-based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in Kolkata, India: findings of a one-year longitudinal study |
| title_full | Prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community-based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in Kolkata, India: findings of a one-year longitudinal study |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community-based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in Kolkata, India: findings of a one-year longitudinal study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community-based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in Kolkata, India: findings of a one-year longitudinal study |
| title_short | Prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community-based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in Kolkata, India: findings of a one-year longitudinal study |
| title_sort | prevalence of undernutrition and effectiveness of a community based nutritional support programme to reverse stunting among children under five years of age in an urban slum in kolkata india findings of a one year longitudinal study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.29392/001c.21942 |
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