Anthropometric Profile of Rural Preschool Children Belonging to Different Agroclimatic Regions of Punjab

The anthropometric measurements of 150 rural preschool children (1-3 years) belonging to different agro-climatic regions of Punjab i.e. sub-mountain (RI), central plains (RII) and southern western (RIII) were analyzed. The inter-regional analysis showed that boys and girls of RII in the age group of 1.0-1.5 years were significantly (p <= 0.01) shorter and lighter than their counterparts of RI and RII. The mean height of rural preschool children belonging to different regions of Punjab were comparable with international (>= 95% of NCHS) and national (>= 98% of ICMR) standards. The analysis depicted that the weight of boys belonging to all regions in the age groups from 1.5-3.0 years were lower than those of NCHS standards whereas the weight of girls of only RIII were lower in all the age groups. On the whole, the weight of boys and girls of Punjab state, only in the age group of 1.0-1.5 years were comparable with those of NCHS standards. The comparison of mean body weight of boys and girls with ICMR standards showed that in RI and RII, all age groups (excluding boys of 1.5-2.0 years) and in RIII boys of 2.0-3.0 years and girls of 1.0-2.5 years had either higher or comparable weight. On the whole weight of boys and girls of Punjab state in all the age groups were comparable with those of ICMR standards except of boys in the age group of 1.5-2.0 years. The analysis further revealed that height and weight of rural preschool children belonging to different regions of Punjab were more than 100 per cent of average Indian and Punjabi children.