IDENTIFICATION OF MALNUTRITION IN URBAN SLUM SCHOOL CHILDREN AND TO EXPLORE IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH
The objective of the study is to help better targeting the population at the highest risk for impactful nutrition programs. This study makes an attempt to understand urban child undernutrition through a more precise understanding of slums, highlighting a few of these exclusion-promoting barriers affecting children. Hence the clusters chosen for the study are a structured slum pocket and an unstructured slum pocket.
A total of 800 children were screened 300 children fell in the moderate grade of malnourished and 258 children falls in the mild grade of malnourished 242 children fell in scholastic backwardness cases, malnourished children.
The results of the study have proved a higher prevalence of undernutrition in unstructured slums. Further, the findings of the study have shown, a higher percentage of children are underweight and stunted among those who have to live in tent type shelters as compared to children living in concrete homes. The impact of lack of access to proper sanitation facilities is evident through the findings that show a higher number of undernourished children among those who have to defecate in the open.