Abstract:
Nutrition is the cornerstone of socioeconomic development of a country. Malnutrition is
one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in children. The objective
was to determine the nutritional status of under five children. Community based crosssectional
study was conducted from February to April 2010 in under five children in an
Urban slum in Raichur. 104(10.6%) children were found to be malnourished, out of them
25(2.5%) were found to be severely malnourished. Children with lower socio-economic
status were found to be severely malnourished. Emphasis should be given on maternal
nutrition and their education, and improving the socio-economic status wil reduce the
burden of under nutrition in children. The present study also help the policy planners to
develop strategies to combat different forms of malnutrition by targeting the high-risk
groups.
