Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs
Open Access

Abstract

This study has never been conducted in Pakistan before. Related researches have been carried out in neighboring countries, and my aim is not only to find current prevalence of malnutrition in target areas, but also to determine how a mother�s education and professional working status affect the nourishment status of the child. This is a cross sectional study in which children under 5 years of age were assessed by weight for age and height for age. A comparison was made between children of different socioeconomic strata, a structured questionnaire was developed, and a door-to-door survey was conducted. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 17. Regarding weight for age, the cut off values included were according to the WHO growth chart published in J.E Park. The height for age was calculated according to the Z score guidelines for cutoff values by WHO. For variation in the socioeconomic status, the study was conducted in two target populations with stark difference in socioeconomic status. The prevalence of malnutrition in children under 5 years of age of Lahore was determined to be 22.7%. The malnourished children were higher in percentage in housewife group, i.e., 62.2%, compared to only 37.8% in working women group. This is a surprise as the normal perception in our culture leads to the belief that the order should be reverse. There was a difference of 9% between housewives and working women as far as preference for home-made weaning food for children was considered. However, working women are slightly more prone to opt for commercially prepared foods like Cerelac etc. This study provides a base line for further research on factors associated with malnutrition in children among population of Pakistan.

Biography

Email: sadia559@gmail.com