Nutrition Profile of the Destitute Women and Children in a Selected Rehabilitation Centre in Gazipur

Abstract

The present study attempts to identify the nutrition profile of the destitute women and
children living in a rehabilitation center, Shishu Polli Plus (SPP), Gazipur. The vision of
SPP is to serve underprivileged orphan children and destitute women and rehabilitate
them by providing education and skill training. Information on anthropometric data,
dietary intake, prevalence of morbidity and health and nutrition knowledge of SPP
beneficiaries were collected by visiting the rehabilitation center. Dietary intake was
calculated using dietary weighing of 7 consecutive days. Mean energy intake of SPP
inmates was 1759 Kcal (86% of RDA). Mean intake of other nutrients were- protein 43 g,
fat 33g, CHO 325g, calcium 307mg, iron 17mg, vitamin A 4120 lU, thiamine 1.21mg,
riboflavin 0.59mg and vitamin C 61 mg. They fulfilled the RDA for protein (96%),
vitamin A (240%), and thiamine (118%). They were deficient in calcium (61% of RDA),
iron (77% of RDA), riboflavin (48% of RDA) and vitamin C (130% of RDA; without
considering cooking loss). Anthropometric assessments of the inmates indicated the
presence of double burden of malnutrition at SPP. The great majority of the children
(specially under-5) were undernourished; while at the same time about 9% of all adult
women were found obese (BMI >25). Overall one in five children in SPP was found to be
stunted. The situation however changes dramatically with age. A higher prevalence of
stunting was reported with the lower age group of children. According to the weight for
age and weight for height classification of nutritional status, about 30 per cent of all
children residing at SPP were underweight and one quarter of all SPP children were
wasted. SPP environmental hygiene was much appreciated and the personal hygiene of
SPP was far better than those of their counterparts in rural areas. The morbidity reporting
was very few except for skin diseases. But SPP inmates’ knowledge on nutrition and
health was very poor. The study findings are encouraging in that the dietary intakes,
anthropometry and the knowledge base (nutrition and health) of the SPP beneficiaries are
comparable to those of their counterparts in the rural Bangladesh. This implies that
without SPP interventions and attention the real life situation for these inmates would
have been different. SPP has been trying very hard to bring meaningful changes in the
life and living of these destitute.