International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health

Vyas BL et al. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2017 Sep;4(9):3413-3415

http://www.ijcmph.com

pISSN 2394-6032 | eISSN 2394-6040

Original Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20173854

A study of nutritional status and personal hygiene among adolescent girls of rural Bikaner

B. L. Vyas, Renu Sethia*, Rekha Acharya

Department of Community Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, India

Received: 19 July 2017

Revised: 09 August 2017

Accepted: 10 August 2017

*Correspondence:

Dr. Renu Sethia,

E-mail: dr.renusethia@gmail.com

Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

ABSTRACT

Background: Adolescent girls form an important vulnerable sector of population that constitute about one tenth of Indian population.

Methods: The study was conducted at Udairamsar village at Bikaner which is the field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner.

Results: Out of 489 girls, 436 were Hindu. 73.21% girls were living in nuclear family and 60.32% girls belonged to socio-economic status IV. Out of 489 girls, 46.42% girls were anaemic and 2.04% girls were having vitamin–B deficiency.

Conclusions: Anaemia was common problem among adolescent girls in rural area. The personal hygiene was good among adolescent girls.

Keywords: Adolescent girl, Rural, Personal hygiene

INTRODUCTION

Adolescent girls form an important vulnerable sector of population that constitute about one tenth of Indian population.1 Under-nutrition among adolescents is a serious public health problem internationally, especially in developing countries.2 Early adolescence after the first year of life is the critical period of rapid physical growth and changes in body composition, physiology and endocrine.3

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is significantly involved in the issues of nutrition and development of children, particularly girl children. Empowerment of the hostel girl is necessary to help her cope with the changes and promote awareness of health particularly nutrition and reproductive health, so as to break the intergenerational life cycle of nutritional and gender disadvantage and provide an enabling and supporting environment for self-development.4,5

Adolescent girl’s health covers nutritional status, morbidity, and reproductive health. During the period of adolescence the nutrient needs are the greatest.6 The girls are usually physically stunted a manifestation of chronic protein energy malnutrition. A large proportion of adolescent girls suffer from various gynecological problems, particularly menstrual irregularities such as menorrhagia, polymenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, and dysmenorrheal. The present study was undertaken nutritional status and personal hygiene among adolescent girls of rural Bikaner.

METHODS

Study design: Community based cross-sectional study.

Study area: The study was conducted at Udairamsar village at Bikaner which is the field practice area of Department of Community Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner.

Study duration: Study duration one year (June 2005 to May 2006).

Study population: Study population was including the girls of age group 10-19 yrs.

Inclusion criteria: The girls of age group 10-19 yrs.

Exclusion criteria: The girls who were not willing to participate study and girls below 10 yrs and above 19 yrs.

Data collection: A house to house survey of entire village was carried out. All adolescent girls present during study period were interrogate. A detail schedule was designed for collecting various information. Total 489 girls participate in this study.

Data analysis: Data collected were entered into excel Microsoft sheet and then analyzed with the help of frequencies, tables, figures and appropriate tests of significance wherever required.

RESULTS

Out of 489 girls, 436 were Hindu. 73.21% girls living in nuclear family and 60.32% girls belonged to socio-economic status IV.

Table 1: Socio-demographical distribution of girls (n=489).
Table reproduced from source PDF page 2
Table 2: Distribution of girls having anaemia and vitamin B deficiency (n=489).
Table reproduced from source PDF page 2
Table 3: Distribution of girls according to personal hygiene level (n=489).
Table reproduced from source PDF page 2

Out of 489 girls, 46.42% girls were anaemic and 2.04% girls were vitamin–B deficiency. 73.62% girls were having good personal hygiene.

DISCUSSION

The present study was carried out at Udairamsar village, a field practicing area of PSM department of S.P. Medical College, Bikaner.

Out of 489 girls, 436 were Hindu and rest were Muslim. The picture was in conformity with picture of Rajasthan and with the study carried out by Sharam at Jodhpur.7

73.21% girls living in nuclear family and rest were living in joint family. This may show urbanization on the type of family. 60.32% girls belonged to socio-economic status IV.

Out of 489 girls, 46.42% girls were anaemic and 2.04% girls were vitamin–B deficiency. Singh et al was found that vitamin B deficiency in 7.14% and anaemia in 14.29% girls and Choudhary et al found prevalence of anaemia in 30% girls.8,9

73.62% girls were having good personal hygiene. Similar result were found in Choudhary et al.9

CONCLUSION

Anaemia was common problem among adolescent girls in rural area. The personal hygiene was good among adolescent girls.

Funding: No funding sources

Conflict of interest: None declared

Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee

REFERENCES

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  2. 2. Ghai OP. Adolescent health, Essential Pediatrics, 7th edition. New Delhi: CBS Publishers; 2009: 42.
  3. 3. Andersh B. Milson I. An epidemiological study of young women with dysmenorrhoea. American J Obstet Gynaecol. 1982;144(6):655-60.
  4. 4. Sachar RK, Singh H, Soni RK, Singh WP, Bhatia RC, Raizada N, et al. Across sectional study of growth parameters of rural adolescent girls of Punjab. Indian J Matern Child Health. 1997;8(1):21-5.
  5. 5. Jacob M. Safe food handling; A training guide for manager of food service establishments. Geneva: WHO; 1989: 1-78.
  6. 6. Kulkarni AP, Baride JP. Introduction to community health Textbook of Community Medicine, 1st edition. Mumbai: Vora publication; 1988: 1-3.
  7. 7. Sharma S. Adolescent Fertility in Selected states of India. Population Research Centre, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, 2003.
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