Assessment of Physical Growth and Nutrition in Indian School-age Children at An Outpatient Department in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh

Introduction: High adolescent self-esteem protects them against high-risk behaviour and physical and mental problems. The present cross-sectional study aimed to understand the self-esteem of school-going children in Mumbai and its association with selected demographic variables and BMI. Method: The Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale and a demographic questionnaire were administered to 334 children (214 boys and 120 girls), between the ages of 10 and 15 years studying in an English-medium co-ed school in Mumbai. The sample was divided into two groups based on their age: Group 1: 10- to 12- year-olds (n = 188) and Group 2: 13- to 15-year-olds (n = 146). Parental permissions and written assent of the children who participated were taken. The data were analysed using SPSS 17. Results: During the course of the study, a total of 1399 children (906 male and 493 female) were enrolled. The mean age of the children was 8.6 ± 2.0 years. The mean weight was 25.8 ± 8.7 kg, mean height was 126.6 ± 14.3 cm, and BMI was 15.7 ± 2.8 kg/m2. Their mean ± SD scores of the weight-for-age, height-for-age, and BMI-for-age were -0.47 ± 1.16, -0.52 ± 1.42, and -0.24 ± 1.15, respectively. Most (83.7%) of the children had normal nutritional status. Wasting (4.7%), stunting (11.2%), underweight (5.7%), overweight (9.2%), and obesity (2.4%) were noted. Conclusion: Most of the children have normal physical growth and nutrition. Both undernutrition and overnutrition were found in the remaining children. How to cite this article:Kumar S, Cynthia SR. Assessment of Physical Growth and Nutrition in Indian School-age Children at An Outpatient Department in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh. Ind J Youth Adol Health. 2023;10(2):8-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2349.2880.202306