Nutritional assessment by mid-upper arm circumference of santal adults of Purulia, West Bengal, India.

The present community based cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of undernutrition using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) among adult (> 18 years) Santals of Purulia District, West Bengal, India. It was undertaken at 10 villages of the district. A total of 520 (217 males and 303 females) subjects were measured. Commonly used indicator i.e., MUAC and BMI, were used to evaluate the nutritional status of the subjects. More women (64.7%) then men (54.4%) based on MUAC and women (59.4%) then men (34.6%) based on BMI were undernourished. Significant sex difference both in MUAC (t=2.378, p<0.05) and BMI (t=4.971, p<0.001) were observed. Significant age group difference for MUAC was observed (F=8.93***, df=3) for men and (F=9.52***, df=3) for women. For BMI, these values were F=10.10*** (df=3) F=6.17*** (df=3) respectively. In conclusion, we found that adult Santals of both sexes were under critical nutritional stress, women and the oldest among them were the most.

Undernutrition among adult Dhimals of Naxalbari, West Bengal: comparison with other tribes of eastern India.

BACKGROUND: The tribes of India comprise approximately 8% of the total population of the country, which probably has the largest number of tribal communities in the world. In general, the tribal populations are among the most underprivileged and undernourished people in India. OBJECTIVES: To determine the anthropometric characteristics and prevalence of undernutrition, based on body mass index (BMI), of adult Dhimals, a tribal population of Naxalbari, West Bengal, India, and to compare these results with those from four other tribes of Eastern India: the Bathudis, Kora Mudis, Santals, and Savars. METHODS: A total of 305 adult (18 years or older) Dhimals (159 men and 146 women) from three villages (Maniram, Hatighisa, and Buraganj) in the Mallabari area of Naxalbari were studied. These villages are located 5 km from Siliguri town, which is approximately 580 km from Kolkata, the provincial capital of West Bengal. Anthropometric measurements included height and weight. BMI was calculated by the standard equation. Undernutrition was evaluated according to World Health Organization (WHO) cutoff points. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of undernutrition (BMI < 18.5) was very high (36.4%). The prevalence was significantly higher in women than in men (46.4% vs. 27.0%; chi2 = 12.54; p < .001; odds ratio, 2.35). According to the WHO criterion, the prevalence of undernutrition was high and the situation was serious in men. Among women, the prevalence of undernutrition was very high and the situation was critical. However, in general, compared with other tribal people of eastern India except the Santals, adult Dhimals had better anthropometric and nutritional profiles. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that although the anthropometric and nutritional profiles of adult Dhimals are better than those of some of the other tribal populations of eastern India, immediate appropriate nutritional intervention programs are needed for implementation among this ethnic group.

Body mass index and body adiposity index in relation to percent body fat: a study in adult men of three endogamous groups of South Bengal.

Body adiposity index (BAI), based on height and hip circumference data from Mexican-Americans and African-Americans established its relation to body fat (BF). The aim of our study was to compare body mass index (BMI) and BAI in relation to BF%. Participants were adult men of three endogamous social groups (Brahmin, Muslim and Namasudra) in a village of South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, India. Height, weight and hip circumference of 952 individuals (370 Brahmins, 307 Muslims and 275 Namasudras) were recorded. The BMI-based nutritional status and bioelectrical impedance-based BF% were evaluated. Namasudras (33.8%) and Muslims (33.6%) had high frequency undernutrition compared to Brahmins (7.3%). High prevalence (46.22%) of excess weight (overweight+obesity) was recorded only among Brahmins. There was significant social group difference in rates of nutritional status (χ(2) = 93.10, p < 0.0001). The BF% had higher correlation with BMI than BAI. A cut-off value of BAI (22%) was determined by binomial logistic regression analysis (BLRA). The value had best estimated relation to BF% and also coincided with WHO standard mean BF (22%) for overweight adults at BMI (≥ 25 kg/m(2)). However, greater area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, higher correct prediction rate, and other results of BLRA for the cut-off value of BMI-based overweight (≥ 25 kg/m(2)) showed its better relation to BF% than that observed for BAI cut-off at 22%. The BMI was observed to be a better indicator of adiposity compared to BAI in relation with body fat (%).

Age-sex variation and association of 0AB blood groups with haemoglobin level among the adult Dhimals at Naxalbari in West Bengal, India.

The Dhimals at Naxalbari of the Darjeeling district in West Bengal belong to the Indo-Mongoloid ethnic stock. Dhimal is a comparatively less known small community in North Bengal. The mean age (males = 35.93 +/- 1.14 years and females = 32.59 +/- 1.06 years) of both sexes represent the standard adult population (males = 151 and females = 171). The results show that the haemoglobin levels in both the sexes (males: 9.69 gm/dl and females: 8.82 gm/dl) among the adult Dhimals are very low. This is true in all age groups. The females are found to be more anaemic than males in all ages. Significant sex differences (p < 0.001) in this context were recorded in all ages except among the population of 60 years and above. Young adult females of reproductive ages group (20-39 years) are observed to have a less haemoglobin level (8.86 +/- 0.18 gm/dl) compared to a higher level of haemoglobin (9.29 +/- 0.30 gm/dl) found among the females of over 40 years of age. 50.88 % of the females having a mean haemoglobin level of 7.09 +/- 0.08 gm/dl and 67.56% of the males with a mean haemoglobin level of 10.75 +/- 0.08 gm/dl indicate that larger proportions of the adult Dhimal population are suffering from severe anaemia. Repeated malarial parasite infection is the major reason behind this situation. 49.70% of the total sample of both the sexes is recorded to have B blood group. 47.47% of the male and 53.45% of the female sample with blood group B along with moderately higher proportions of the AB blood group (21.78% in males and 20.22% in females) over comparatively much less frequent A and 0 blood groups in both the sexes indicate a high prevalence of B gene in the Dhimal population. The association of higher mean haemoglobin levels (10.21 +/- 0.14 gm/dl for males and 9.54 +/- 0.14 gm/dl for females) among the individuals of both the sexes with B blood groups compared to lower haemoglobin levels with other blood groups especially 0 and A indicate a selection of the B gene in the Dhimal population for survival.