title: Nutritional Status among the Children of Age Group 5-14 Years in Selected Arsenic Exposed and Non-Exposed Areas of Bangladesh.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess and compare the nutritional status of children aged 5-14 years in arsenic exposed and non- exposed areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a cross sectional study conducted on 600 children of age 5-14 years from arsenic exposed and non-exposed areas in Bangladesh. Designed questionnaire and check list were used for collection of data. To estimate BMI necessary anthropometric measurements of the studied children were done. Dietary intakes of the study children were assessed using 24-hours recall method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The difference of socio-economic conditions between the children of exposed area and non-exposed area was not significant. On an average the body mass index was found to be significantly (p < 0.01) lower among the children of arsenic exposed area (49%) in comparison to that of children in non-exposed area (38%). Stunting (p < 0.01), wasting (p < 0.05) and underweight (p < 0.05) were significantly higher in exposed group in comparison to non-exposed group. No significant difference of nutrition intake was found between exposed and non-exposed children as well as thin and normal children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study children exposed to arsenic contaminated water were found to be suffered from lower nutritional status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Dynamic, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezaul Karim
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Bangladesh Institute of Health Service (BISH), Darussalam, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Sk Akhtar
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ahmad
keywords: Arsenic level; Dietary intake; Height; Source of water; Stool parasite; Tube well water; Weight