Health and Nutritional Status of the Selected Orphanage Children in Tangail City

Abstract

A study was carried out among 200 (male = 100 and female = 100) orphanage children aged below 18 years from different orphanage homes in Tangail city, Bangladesh. The objective of this study was to assess their lifestyle pattern, demographic information and nutritional status. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect relevant information from the orphan children. Data were collected by random sampling method. Nutritional determinants and food intake patterns were analyzed. In this study, one-third of the orphanage children (33.0%) belong to the age group of 12–14 years. The reasons for living in orphanages were mainly because of parent’s death (40%), death of father (26%) and second marriage of father (19%). Nutritional status of orphanage children is disappointing and the prevalence rate of underweight, stunting and wasting was 33, 35, and 39% respectively. The nutritional status of the orphanage children according to Gomez classification is observed and it indicated that 36.5, 22.5, 28 and 14% of the children were normal, first degree, second degree and third degree respectively. The morbidity rates for the male and female children were 27 and 36% respectively. Therefore, comprehensive programs are required to be undertaken for overall nutritional development of the orphanage children.