Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research, volume 37 issue 3 (september 2018) : 237-241

Health and nutritional profile of adolescent girls from underprivileged communities residing in kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Rajasthan

Mukta Agrawal, Priyanka Nagar, Divya Jain
1Department of Home Science, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur-302 004, Rajasthan, India.
Cite article:- Agrawal Mukta, Nagar Priyanka, Jain Divya (2018). Health and nutritional profile of adolescent girls from underprivileged communities residing in kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Rajasthan. Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research. 37(3): 237-241. doi: 10.18805/ajdfr.DR-1370.
Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) for adolescent girls from backward society is one of the initiatives of Government of India to enhance educational status and quality of life among adolescent girls of underprivileged communities. In these institutes free education, food, clothes, books and free residential facilities are provided to adolescent girls. The present study was an attempt to assess the nutritional status of adolescent girls residing in KGBVs of two districts of Rajasthan i.e. Jaipur and Tonk. Nutritional anthropometry and dietary survey (food inventory method and 24 hour dietary recall) were carried out on 457 girls. The respondents were in the age group of 9-18 years belonging to Schedule Caste (28.2 per cent), Schedule Tribe (31.7 percent), Other Backward Caste (36.76 percent) and General (3.2 percent) category. Energy deficiency was found among the 18.35 percent girls while stunting (height for age <- 2SD of WHO Z score) among 15.25 percent girls. Energy deficiency as well as stunting was observed higher among girls studying in class 6th as compared to class 8th. The food provided at KGBVs was basically cereal based. All food groups except cereals were available in inadequate quantities. Availability as well as intake of energy was adequate while that of micronutrients was below Recommend Dietary Allowances. A huge gap was observed between availability and intake of nutrients as well as food groups indicating possibility of pilferage of food stuffs.
  1. Anonymous(2018).https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/india/ Cited on 19 April 2018
  2. Bamji, M.S. (2017). Textbook of Human Nutrition (4th Edn.). Oxford & IBH, New Delhi
  3. Census of India (2001). Age Structure and Marital Status Retrieved from http://censusindia.gov.in/Census_And_You/    age_structure_and_marital_status.aspx Cited on 19 April 2018 
  4. Choudhary, S., Khichar, S. , Dabi, D.,Parakh, M.,Dara, P. K., Parakh P.,Vyas, S. and Deopa B. (2016) Urban rural comparison of anthropometry and menarcheal status of adolescent school going girls of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. J Clin Diagn Res.10 (    10): SC08–SC12.
  5. ICMR (2010) Nutrient Requirement and Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians. Indian Council of Medical Research. National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India
  6. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4). Fact Sheet India and Rajasthan. International Institute of Population Sciences, Mumbai, India 2015-16.
  7. National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (2017) (NNMB). Technical Report No. 27. National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR, Hyderabad, India World Health Organization (WHO). Child Growth Standards retrieved from http://www.who.int/growthref/en/

Editorial Board

View all (0)