A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS AMONG THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF MOST PRIMITIVE AND SMALLEST TRIBE IN THE NORTH-EASTERN INDIA

Abstract

Toto tribe is the smallest tribal community in the North-Eastern India with only 1531 members.This study was conducted to determine the nutritional status of children and adolescents belonging to the Toto tribes. A total number of 228 children and adolescents (boys=120, girls=108) aged 6-17 years living in mono-ethnic Village of Totopara at West Bengal in India, which has been included in the present study. The height, weight, mid-upper arm circumference were measured and nutritional status was evaluated using internationally recognized age and sex specific BMI cut-off points. The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) and overweight among the Toto children and adolescents of the present study was 21.93% and 1.75% respectively. The girls (25.93%) were 1.559 times [OR 1.559; 0.229-2.932 8 RR=1.246; 0.928-1.673] more prone to CED than the boys (18.33%). The tendency of prevalence of CED was lower among the higher ages of girls excepts the age of 11 to 13 years, the menarche associated physiological and reproductive stress may be responsible behind higher CED among the girls. The health and nutritional awareness and the up-gradation of education in this population may help them grow healthy.