Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health
ISSN: 3065-9078 | DOI: 10.64030/3065-9078
Sweekriti Malik and Neelu Jain Gupta
Background Malnutrition and anemia continue to be major challenges for children growing up in disadvantaged environments. Globally, children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face multiple health disadvantages, such as poor nutrition, reduced physical activity and increased vulnerability to illness. Malnutrition not only threatens immediate growth and wellbeing, but also strengthens the cycle of poverty by affecting school performance, raising healthcare costs, and limiting future productivity. In this study, we examined body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin (Hb) levels, and grip strength among children aged 5 - 14 years attending a street based Gurukul in Meerut, India.
Methodology A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 84 children aged 5-14 years. A multi-stage sampling method was employed and physiological measurements like Hemoglobin, Melatonin and anthropometric measurements like BMI, Waist-Hip Ratio, and Grip Strength was taken and analyzed.
Results The results showed that across all ages, grip strength was very low (0 - 1), pointing to inadequate muscle development. BMI values were consistently below normal reference ranges for both boys and girls, while Hb concentrations also fell below expected levels .Girls in particular showed lower Hb compared to boys, indicating a higher burden of anemia.
Conclusion This study highlights the serious challenges facing child health in a disadvantaged community. Limited dietary variety, very low muscular strength, underweight status, and widespread anemia together reflect chronic undernutrition with significant implications for growth and development. While these patterns align with national and global data, our study also adds new insights, particularly through functional measures like grip strength. Addressing these issues requires coordinated efforts that combine nutritional support, investment in education, and poverty reduction. Without such efforts, cycles of malnutrition and disadvantage are likely to persist, affecting both individual potential and broader societal well-being.