Dietary Practices and Nutritional Status of Pre – School Children of Sivasagar, Assam

Malnutrition is pervasive in India, affecting large sections of the population. It includes primary energy protein malnutrition and micro nutrient deficiencies. Apart from malnutrition children in India usually suffer from other deficiency diseases and sometimes face death due to some specific diseases. The importance of nutrition during pre-school years has recently been realized all over the world. The present study is an attempt to study the dietary practices and nutritional status of pre-school children of 3-6 years from ten localities of Sivasagar town of Assam. Two hundred pre-school children were selected randomly and data were collected by using a standardized questionnaire. Information related to food habits, nutrient intake and anthropometric measurements were collected by using the questionnaire. The information revealed that the mean daily intake of most of the food items and amount of nutrients were lower than the RDA. The nutritional status of the pre-school children of Sivasagar town is although not very poor, it needs serious attention. Keywords— Malnutrition, recommended dietary allowances, nutrient intake, nutritional status.