Abstract

Malnutrition is one of the largest public health problems in developing countries. India contributes 1/3rd of total malnourished children in the world, with prevalence as high as 29.4%. Chronic malnutrition experi-enced during early life inhibits growth, retards mental development; reduce motivation and energy level, causing reduction in educational attainments. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of malnutrition with scholastic performance among 8–12 year children in 2 selected private schools in Meerut. This cross sectional study was done among 8–12 year school going children, with sample size of 384, taking the prevalence as 50%, precision as 10%. The private schools were selected randomly from the list of urban schools in Meerut. Malnutrition was assessed using anthropometric measurements and records from school were used to analyze scholastic performance. A total of 483 children across 2 private schools were evaluated wherein 29% of children were found to be malnourished. A significant association between malnutrition and scholastic performance was observed. In conclusion, nutrition have significant impact on the scholastic performance, with all programs running in government schools there is a need for a program in private schools as well.

Key words: 8-12 year school children, Malnutrition, Private schools, Scholastic performance, Urban Meerut