Journal of Nutritional Disorders & Therapy

Growth status of adolescent boys of shin tribe living at high altitude in Tulail valley of Jammu and Kashmir

International Conference on Pediatric Nutrition

August 01-02, 2016 New Orleans, USA

Baljeet Singh and Indu Talwar

Panjab University, India

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Disorders Ther

Abstract:

The Shin people are a group of people predominantly found in northern Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern India's state of Jammu and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. The present study aims to ascertain the growth pattern and nutritional status of adolescent boys (10 to 19 years) of Shin tribe of Tulail valley. The cross-sectional sample of 300 adolescent boys was collected from various government schools located in Tulail (middle zone) of Tehsil Gurez. Anthropometric and physiological measurements of every subject were recorded using standardized techniques. Body mass index was computed from these measurements. The nutritional status was assessed on the basis of BMI classification given by �??WHO�?? for Asian Indians. Information on socioeconomic status, dietary habits and physical activity was obtained using interview based schedule. Height, weight and BMI of adolescent boys showed an increase in the mean values with the advancing age. The maximum annual gain in height, weight and body mass index was witnessed between 13 and 14 years. One way ANOVA reveals significant differences in height, weight and BMI between various adolescent age groups. According to BMI classification for Asian Indians, 72.67% sampled boys were found to be underweight, 26.67% were under normal category 0.67% were found to fall under overweight whereas no individual was obese. The study clearly indicates that nutritional stresses due to poor socioeconomic status especially during childhood and adolescence are more important than high altitude hypoxia for higher rate of under-nutrition in the present sample. When compared with affluent Indians, rural adolescent boys of present study were found to be lighter and shorter at all ages. However, when compared with adolescent boys of Ladakh and Spiti, the sample boys stood taller and heavier than them at all ages.

Biography :

Email: baljeetsinghbali@gmail.com