A Hospital Based Bivariate Analysis of Nutritional Status and its Determinants among the Children Aged 2 to 12 Years in an Indian Island

Background: Malnutrition in children is a major public health problem in developing countries and is one of the common causes of mortality and morbidity in children. We aimed to determine the nutritional status of children aged 2-12 years of age using World Health Organisation(WHO) Z score for Weight for age (WFA)/Body Mass Index (BMI) for age (for children above 108 months), and to evaluate association between underweight and various socio-demographic factors. Materials and Methods A total of 444 children aged 2-12 years (24-144 months) were enrolled in the study. The children’s anthropometric measurements were taken using the standard operating procedures; the socio-demographic particulars were obtained using a pretested validated questionnaire, after obtaining written consent from their parents. The anthropometric data was analyzed using WHO Anthro and Anthro plus Softwares. Underweight and severe underweight was diagnosed if WFA Z score