ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF

AGE IN RURAL NEPAL

Saint Louis University

School of Nursing

In Partial Fulfilment of the requirements in

Community Health Nursing

Submitted by: Ollie May O. Flavier

BSN 2-E
Submitted to: Mrs. Ma. Theresa Macaraeg
Date: October 17, 2016
Summary:

Malnutrition is a major public health problem in most of the developing countries and is more
common among under-five year children. It is one of the most important public health problems
of developing countries where resources are very limited. Nutrition is believed to be very essential
for socio economic development of the country and is an essential component of millennium
development goals. The common cause of malnutrition is lack of access to the nutritious food.
Poor feeding practices, such as inadequate breastfeeding, offering the wrong foods, and not
ensuring that the child gets enough nutritious food, contribute to malnutrition. Respiratory
infections, frequent diarrhea, malaria also undermines a childs nutritional status. Over 10 million
under-five children annually die from the diseases which are preventable and treatable almost all
these deaths occur in poor countries. Malnutrition is responsible for over 50% of these 10-11
million under-five deaths from preventable diseases. The objective of the study was to assess the
nutritional status of children under five years of age and to find the factors associated with
malnutrition. Based on the results of the study, Out of 243 children, according to WHO based on
weight for height assessment, 17 (7.0%) were wasted, in height for age analysis, 97 (39.9%) were
stunted and in weight for age assessment, 46 (18.9%) were underweight.

Reaction:

1) Insights/ Relevance to pts case

Poor nutrition especially among children is an alarming problem that needs a solution. I choose
this topic because it is related to my patients case which is underweight. Nutrition is one of the
most important factor, which affects the health of a person. The body needs a balanced amount of
nutrients and energy for its survival and is essential for good health. Thus, if a child has a poor
nutrition, it can affect its overall growth and development.

2) Relevance to area of rotation

It is important to our area of rotation, Pacdal because it is located in an urban area and most houses
here are congested and the people living here are having a difficult time managing their health
because the pathways which they pass by regularly, is somehow unpaved which brings them
inconvenience.

3) Relevance to Nursing Education

It is important as a student nurse to know the significance of nutrition in the body because it affects
the general health condition of a person. If we have the adequate knowledge about nutrition, we
can teach our patients the proper way on how to have a good nutrition. In this way, we are helping
them to improve their health condition and at the same time, they are gaining information about
what is nutrition. Also, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension are some of the diseases
that can be prevented.

4) Learning insight on the journal

From this journal, I learned how nutrition is essential in our lives. Good nutrition is an important
part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, our diet can help us reach and
maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease and cancer), and
promote our overall health. Proper nutrition allows us to give our bodies all the minerals and
vitamins it needs to function effectively. There are so many different nutrients and they all play a
different role in the body. Eating a balanced and varied diet means that our body can stay at its
best condition, helping us carry out all the activities of everyday life, plus prevent the onset of
degenerative illnesses.

Reference:

Chataut, J & Khanal, K. (2016.) Assessment of Nutritional Status of Children Under Five years of age in
rural. Nepal Kathmandu Univ Med J; 53(1):73-7. Retrieved from http://www.kumj.com.np/issue/53/73-
77.pdf