Physical Growth and Nutritional Status of the Shabar Tribal Adolescents of Orissa, India: a Cross-sectional Study.

The aim of the study is to assess the growth and nutritional status of adolescents of the Shabar tribe of Orissa, India. There are no studies on the growth pattern of the Shabar tribe, one of the largest tribal communities of Orissa. Studies of other tribes have shown poor health status of their members. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 328 adolescents (149 boys and 179 girls), aged 10 to 18 years from Khurda and Cuttack districts of Orissa. Anthropometric measurements were taken to assess growth and nutritional status. Means, standard deviation and percentile curves were used to examine the pattern of growth, while t-test and 50th percentile values were used to compare the nutritional status with other studies. Values of <5th percentile of body mass index (BMI) for age were considered as indicators of under-nutrition. Most of the body measurements showed high rates of increase between 14 to 15 years among boys and 12 to 13 years among girls, which correspond to the adolescent growth spurt. The Shabar adolescents were significantly (p<0.01) shorter and lighter than the NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics) 50th percentile curves. There was high prevalence of chronic under-nutrition (<5th percentile of BMI for age). It is noted that the nutritional status of the Shabar children is generally better than that of other tribes. These findings may be attributed to various nutritional programmes for children. However, poor socio-economic status of this tribe remains an important factor for the high prevalence of chronic under-nutrition and poor growth pattern. In-depth studies are necessary for identifying other factors that lead to growth retardation and under-nutrition among the adolescents of the Shabar population.