THE USE OF THE SITTING HEIGHT INDEX OF BUILD TO DETERMINE UNDERNUTRITION AMONG RURAL BENGALEE PRESCHOOL CHILDREN OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA

At earlier ages, the body mass index (BMI) has some limitations in assessing nutritional status owing to the differential increase of the body segments. The present study assessed the nutritional status by using a new measure, the sitting height index of build (SHIB). A total of 1012 children (498 boys; 514 girls) aged between 2 to 6 years from 20 Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) centers of Bali Gram Panchayat, Arambagh, West Bengal, India were studied. Height, weight, and sitting height (SH) were measured following standard protocol. The SHIB was calculated as [weight (kg) / Sitting Height (m)(3)]. The prevalence of undernutrition was assessed by converting the thinness cut-offs to SHIB cut-offs. All the anthropometric variables showed the gradual increase with age except the subjects BMI. The SHIB showed significant sex differences in the lower age groups. The prevalence of undernutrition as evaluated using SHIB was slightly lower (82.7%) than that utilizing thinness (low BMI for age) (85.2%). The sex-specific rates of undernutrition were 81.7 % and 83.7 % among boys and girls, respectively. The SHIB can be considered an alternative, dependable, and useful index to evaluate undernutrition among pre-school children. This index may have a distinct advantage in determining nutritional status across ethnic groups who vary in body size and shape, regardless of BMI.