BMI Dependent Dietary status Frequency and Association with Eating Habits among Schoolchildren in Urban Jamshoro and Hyderabad, Sindh

Schoolchildren's Standards of BMI and Diet

Abstract

Background: Child malnutrition in developing countries is a major public health concern, encompassing both overnutrition and undernutrition. Objective: To investigate the frequency of BMI by age- dependent dietary status of schoolchildren aged 12-16 years in selected low-income urban areas of Jamshoro and Hyderabad, Sindh, and to explore the distribution of selected nutritional habits in the two groups of underweight and non-underweight. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Settings: Two government schools in Jamshoro and Hyderabad Pakistan. Duration: 1st June to 31st December 2024. Methods: A total of 106 students between the ages of 12 and 16 years were recruited using stratified random sampling by sex and grade. The height and weight were measured by the standard method and the BMI as per WHO standards. Selected dietary habits were measured by using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done in descriptive form using SPSS version 24.0. Results: 62.5% of 160 respondents were found to be underweight, 30.6 % of the respondents were found to be normal weight, and 5% of the respondents were found to be overweight, with 1.9% of the respondents being obese. Underweight was more common in females (68.9%) than in males (56.9%). Underweight status distribution was generally similar in terms of the incidence of underweight, which was high in low-income urban schoolchildren of Jamshoro and Hyderabad. Conclusion: This study concluded that the incidence of underweight was high in low-income urban schoolchildren of Jamshoro and Hyderabad, and the girls dominated.