Background: Malnutrition is a global issue that affects billions. The social and economic backwardness has always been responsible for poor health status, high incidence of low birth weight, and infant and child mortality among these groups. In India, many recent studies have been conducted on the nutritional status of tribal children and have showed a high rate of malnutrition.
Objectives: (1) To study various factors contributing to the malnutrition among tribal children and (2) to study the dietary habits of under-five children and its impact on nutritional status.
Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in tribal area of Akole block of Western Ghat, Maharashtra, India, from February 2016 to June 2017. A total of 370 under-five tribal children were studied from 13 selected villages. Pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Anthropometric measurements such as height/length and weight were measured. The World Health Organization-2006 child growth standards were used to three grades: Underweight, stunting, and wasting. The data were compiled and statistical analysis was done using percentage and Chi-square test.
Result: Of 370 children, 170 (45.9%) were males and 200 (54.1%) were females. Overall, the prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting was found to be 86.2%, 72.3%, and 58.6%, respectively. Severe underweight, stunting, and wasting were found in 18.9%, 26.2%, and 7.6%, respectively.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that children in Akole tribe are at high risk of malnutrition. Malnutrition continued to be a substantial burden in under-five children.
Key words: Dietary Intake; Malnutrition; Sociodemographic Factors; Tribal Population
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