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A. Nadamuni Naidu and N. Pralhad Rao
National Institute of Nutrition, Jamai-Osmania PO, Hyderabad - 500 007, India
Anthropometric data available
through National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau surveys/studies conducted by the National
Institute for Nutrition were analysed to study body mass index (BMI:kg/m2)
profiles of adults and relate them to various parameters such as the nutritional status of
preschool children, socio-economic status, low birth weight and mortality. The results
show that nearly one-half (49%) of adult Indian rural population is suffering from some
grade of chronic energy deficiency (CED). The adults' household BMI and child's
nutritional status are associated. Mean BMI values were lower in landless agricultural
occupational groups and in low per capita income group households compared with
cultivators, artisan and higher income groups. Mean birth weights showed definite
differences between BMI classes (2500 g in grade III CED and 2800 g in the normal BMI
group). The odds ratio for low birth weight (LBW) was found to be three times more in
severe CED groups compared to normal BMI groups of mothers. The influence of BMI on the
incidence of LBW was evident despite the confounding factors of parity and maternal age.
The frequency distribution of BMI values of adults who had been malnourished at the age of
5 years was distinctly different from that of the well-nourished group. The mean BMI of
the group who were malnourished as children was 16, while those who had been well
nourished was now 21 on average. Data from affluent and well-grown Indians suggests that a
cut-off point of 18 rather than 18.5 would be more appropriate to distinguish the
nutritionally normal groups from the energy deficient group (CED).
One of the methods suggested recently (James,
Ferro-Luzzi & Waterlow, 1988; Ferro-Luzzi et al., 1992) for assessing the
chronic energy deficiency (CED) state of individuals is based on body weight in relation
to height expressed in terms of body mass index (BMI: kg/m2). This method is
relatively simple, easy to measure and does not suffer from estimation errors encountered
in energy intake method (with diet surveys) and energy expenditure methods [with measures
of basal metabolic rate (BMR)] and activity (James et al., 1988). Therefore, the
anthropometric data available through NNMB surveys (NNMB surveys Report of Repeat, 1991)
collected on representative segments of rural Indian population were analysed. Details of
the survey protocol, period of survey and population studied are described in the annex of
NNMB Report of Repeat Surveys (1991). The BMI profiles of adults were related to
nutritional status of preschool children defined in terms of:
(i) growth indices, i.e. weight, height, weight-for-age (Gomez et al., 1956), height-forage and weight-for-height (Seoane & Latham, 1971);
(ii) energy intake status;
(iii) certain socioeconomic parameters like occupation and per capita income, which are known to reflect the nutrition situation of the community.