An Assessment of Nutritional Status Among School Going Adolescents (10-15 Years) - A Study from Rural Maharashtra

A cross-sectional, school based study was carried out in a rural area to assess the nutritional status among the adolescents in the age group of 10-15 years. Out of 321 study subjects, 178 (55.5%) were boys and 143(44.5%) were girls. The height correlated positively with age and increased with the increase in age in boys and girls. In present study the prevalence of stunting in 10-15years age group was 16.9% among boys and 6.3% in girls with an overall prevalence of 11.6%. In the present study the prevalence of thinness was 41.6% in boys and 28.1% in girls, with overall prevalence of 34.8%. There was statistically highly significant association between socioeconomic status and prevalence of stunting and thinness. Regular health check-up with concerted effort towards nutrition along with focused health education can improve the health and nutritional status of these school going rural adolescents.