A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Low-Cost Dietary Supplementation among Malnourished Children in the Age Group Between 1-5 Years, at Pilkhuwa, Hapur

Abstract

Malnutrition remains a major public health concern among under-five children in India. This experimental study evaluated the impact of a locally formulated, low-cost dietary supplement on the nutritional status of 60 malnourished children aged 1–5 years in Pilkhuwa, Hapur. Participants were randomly allocated to an experimental group (n=30), which received daily supplementation for 21 days, or a control group (n=30) with no supplement. Anthropometric and clinical assessments were performed at baseline and after intervention. The experimental group showed a significant improvement in nutritional status (mean pre-score 77.80±4.81 vs post-score 83.76±4.87, p<0.01), whereas the control group did not improve significantly (mean 77.80±5.11 vs 78.20±5.15, p>0.05). Post-intervention nutritional status was significantly higher in the experimental group than in controls (p<0.01). Significant gains were also observed in weight, BMI, mid-arm circumference, and skin-fold thickness in the experimental group (all p<0.01), but not in the control group. No demographic factors were significantly associated with nutritional outcomes. The findings suggest that this affordable dietary supplement effectively enhances short-term nutritional recovery among malnourished children. Integrating such interventions into community health programs could help address child malnutrition.

Introduction

Background:

Malnutrition remains a major public health challenge in India, especially among children under five. Despite national and global initiatives, undernutrition persists—especially in poor urban areas. India’s child malnutrition rates are almost double those of sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effectiveness of a low-cost, home-prepared dietary supplement in improving the nutritional status of malnourished children aged 1–5 years in an urban slum in Pilkhuwa, Hapur.

Objectives:

1. Assess pre- and post-intervention nutritional status in both experimental and control groups.

2. Compare the improvement between experimental and control groups.

3. Examine associations between post-intervention nutritional outcomes and demographic factors.

Hypothesis:

There will be a statistically significant improvement in the nutritional status of children receiving low-cost dietary supplementation, influenced by certain demographic variables.

Methodology:

• Design: Experimental, quantitative

• Sample: 60 malnourished children (30 experimental, 30 control) aged 1–5 years

• Sampling: Simple random sampling (lottery method)

• Instruments: Structured tool capturing socio-demographic data, anthropometric measurements (e.g., height, weight, BMI), and clinical signs of malnutrition.

• Intervention: Low-cost dietary supplementation administered to the experimental group.

Key Results:

Nutritional Improvement:

• Experimental Group:

  • Significant improvement in anthropometric measures (height, weight, BMI, mid-arm circumference, skin-fold thickness)

  • Clinical signs (e.g., pallor, dullness, glossitis) showed marked improvement.

  • Mean score improved from 77.80 to 83.76 (t = 10.673, p < 0.01)

• Control Group:

  • No significant improvement; scores remained nearly unchanged.

  • Mean score from 77.80 to 78.19 (t = 2.014, not significant)

Clinical Assessment:

• Post-intervention, experimental children showed visible improvements in appearance, energy, and symptoms (e.g., reduced pallor, improved skin and nails).

• Control group children showed minimal or no improvement.

Association with Demographics:

• Significant associations found between nutritional improvement and:

  • Parental education

  • Monthly income

• No significant associations with child’s age, sex, religion, birth order, or dietary type.

Conclusion

The main conclusion drawn from the present study was both the children in the experimental and control group are suffering with mild to profound degree of malnutrition but after giving the low cost diet supplementation for the experimental group there was an increase in the nutritional status of the malnourished children but the control group children remains same and even some children condition became more worsen. This understood that the low cost dietary supplementation for the malnourished children will surely improve their nutritional status.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Prof. Himadri Kalita , Ms. Sumbul Nisha , Ms. Blessy Mathew. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.