10th ASCON Abstract no.

: 169

10th ASCON

Abstracts

Effect of Organizational Support to Improve Nutritional Status of Street Children in Dhaka: A Comparative Study
Banibrota Nandy1 and Malay Kanti Mridha2
Objective: Explore the nutrition and health status of street children in Dhaka city, compare organizationally-supported children and organizationally-not-supported children in terms of nutrition and health status, and assess the effect of organizational support in improving their health and nutrition status. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted among organizationally-supported (OSG, getting support from Aparajeyo Bangladesh) and organizationally-not-supported children (ONG) of Dhaka city. Fifty children were selected from both groups. A pre-tested questionnaire was used for collecting data. The differentials of nutrition and health status were determined by comparing socioeconomic, personal hygiene-related, anthropometric, dietary and clinical information from both the groups. Results: The mean age of the ONG and OSG children was 11.5 (2.30) and 12.06 (2.41) years respectively. The mean daily income was Tk 31.08 (12.63) and Tk 25.58 (15.92) respectively. On an average, the ONG and OSG children spent 85.5% and 67.6% of their daily income on food respectively. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe underweight (weight-for-age -2SD), stunting (height-for-age -2SD), and wasting (weight-for-height -2SD) was 34% and 16%, 38% and 28%, and 18% and 14% among the ONG and OSG children respectively, indicating the better nutritional status of the OSG children compared to the ONG children. The mean duration of illness in the past three months was 7.24 (7.04) days and 6.35 (4.78) days for the ONG and OSG children respectively, indicating that the OSG children suffered less than the ONG children. Seventy percent of the ONG and 48% of the OSG children had clinical signs of malnutrition. Conclusion: Organizational support in the way of training, non-formal education, treatment of diseases, supply of regular meals, and better sleeping and bathing facilities has a profound effect on the improvement of nutrition and health status of street children. These supports should be made available to all street children.

1 2

Health and Nutrition Research Center, 139 Shantibagh, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh Bangladesh Womens Health Coalition, 10/2 Iqbal Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka 1207

109