Anthropometric Assessment of Nutritional Status of Children and Adolescents in Henanigala Indigenous Group, Sri Lanka

Tharaka Ananda
2019 International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies  
The prevalence of undernourishment, is often higher among indigenous than non-indigenous children in many countries. However, lesser is known about the nutritional status of the Indigenous (the Veddas) children and adolescents in Sri Lanka. The present study was conducted to assess the nutritional status of the Henanigala Vedda children and adolescents through anthropometric measurements. Stature and weight of a total of 169 children and adolescents (90 girls and 79 boys between 5-18 years of
more » ... e) were measured and calculated the Body Mass Index (BMI). Subjects were categorized into three age groups, 5-8 years (𝑛 = 28), 9-11 years (𝑛 = 52) and 12-18 years (𝑛 = 89). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) subjects who were falling below the age and sex specific fifth percentile (< 5th %ile) of the BMI Cut off Points were defined as undernourished. SPSS, MS Excel and BMI metric calculator for children, were used for data analysis. In order to test the level of significance, student t-test was performed (𝑃<0.05). Mean
doi:10.4038/ijms.v6i2.116 fatcat:cins32656fha5ocxxx6qgt4r5u