RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This study intends to find the growth patterns of selected school children. Globally accepted statistical methods were used to evaluate the data and prepare a growth chart. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with school-going children from 16 selected schools of a tribal district in Jharkhand using multistage cluster random sampling. In each selected school, 60 students, 30 boys and 30 girls, were chosen randomly, totaling 960 children (full data was for 935 children only). Growth charts were created using Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) chart maker version 2.5 for height, weight and body mass index (BMI). In the charts, the LMS values with Z scores for each age and respective height and weight for boys and girls were recorded. RESULTS: The 468 boys and 467 girls were in the range of 6-14 years of age. Percentile values obtained for the measured heights in centimetres were evaluated and compared with Indian Academy of Pediatrics reference charts for boys and girls for the same age group, and our values were found to be on the lower side. We were able to plot a growth chart of the data set; as the tribal children's ethnicity is different, this growth chart might be used to assess nutritional status. CONCLUSION: We concluded that growth curves for height, weight, and BMI may be used for evaluating children of age 6-14 years in the tribal population. The measures can be a good indicator of their nourishment status and overall growth patterns, which might be indigenous to their ethnicity. A larger sample size of similar tribal populations may give a clearer picture.
RESUMEN
Purpose: To compare the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment in tribal school students in the rural day-care and in a residential urban school. Methods: This was a cross-sectional comparative study. The 4-Stage screening in the native habitat of the tribal students performed in the school and hospital involved the trained school teachers, optometrists, comprehensive ophthalmologist, and pediatric ophthalmologist. The 2-Stage screening in the urban school involved only the optometrists and pediatric ophthalmologist. In both instances, vision (presenting and best corrected) was recorded and refraction performed. In addition, fundus photo was taken in all students in the urban school using a non-mydriatic fundus camera. Results: The comparison of blindness, visual impairment, and ocular anomalies were between tribal children (153,107 children; mean age 9.3 ± 2.7 years) examined in the native school and tribal children (10,038 children; mean age 8.8 + 1.64 years) in an urban residential school. Mild and moderate visual impairment was higher in the urban settings (P < 0.05), but severe visual impairment and blindness were similar in both settings. Refractive error, amblyopia, and posterior segment anomaly were detected more often in an urban settings (P < 0.05). Vitamin A deficiency (Bitot's spot) was detected only in children studying in the native schools (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The location, urban or rural, did not influence the visual impairment profile of tribal children. The food habit and environment seem to impact nutritional status.