Effect of social factors on nutritional status among rural Bengalee preschool children from Eastern India

Undernutrition among under-5 children is one of the main barriers of national development in rural India. It is seen as deeply rooted in environmental factors such as poverty and poverty related factors. However, there exists scanty information on the social factors which increase risk of undernutrition. The aim of the present study was to report the prevalence of undernutrition. More importantly, it attempted to identify social factors which increased risk of undernutrition among the preschool children. The present cross-sectional study was carried out among 673 preschool children (323 boys and 350 girls) aged 1–5 years in Chapra block in Nadia district, West Bengal, India. Anthropometric measurements including height and weight were taken using standard techniques. Boys were taller and heavier at all ages than girls. The values of standardized weight-for-age were markedly below mean for reference population and in most of age classes also below -2 standard deviations (SD). The overall (age and sex combined) rates of underweight, stunting and wasting were 54.4 %, 39.2 % and 22.10 % , respectively. Hindu children were less deviated from reference mean than Muslim children, for both features. The mean values of both these variables increased from lower to higher level of parental education. Our study revealed that religion, caste and parents’ educational status were significant risk factors for undernutrition. Enhancement of educational level of the parents should be promoted, more specifically among Muslims and lower caste people, to reduce the prevalence of preschool undernutrition.