Publication:

Prevalence of protein energy malnutrition among 1-5 years of children in Bellary taluk

Background Malnutrition is a major health problem, especially in developing countries. It affects almost 800 million people. Prevalence rates vary among different continents of the world. PEM is undoubtedly the most serious nutritional problem affecting several thousand young children in India.

Methods A cross sectional study was carried out among 180 children of age group 1-5 years to find prevalence of PEM. Ethical clearance was obtained and permission from respective authorities was also taken. The instrument used is a predesigned and pretested semi structured questionnaire. Physical measurements such as height and weight measured using standard methods.

Results The prevalence of Protein energy malnutrition is 67.7% (122). The prevalence of PEM is high among rural children (71.1%) compared to urban children (64.4%) and this difference is found to be statistically significant.

Conclusions Many preventable variables are found to be significant associates of protein energy malnutrition.