NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND DIETARY ADEQUACY OF PM POSHAN (MID-DAY MEAL) SCHEME BENEFICIARIES IN GUNTUR DISTRICT
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Authors
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V PATHYUSHA
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, College of Community Science, Guntur-522 034 Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh, India
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K LAKSHMI
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, College of Community Science, Guntur-522 034 Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh, India
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G NIRMALA DEVI
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, College of Community Science, Guntur-522 034 Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh, India
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BILQUIS
Department of Food Science & Nutrition, College of Community Science, Guntur-522 034 Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh, India
Keywords:
Anthropometric assessment, Clinical assessment, Mid-Day Meal scheme, Stunted, UnderweightAbstract
The present study was carried out in 2024 to assess the nutritional status of school children
enrolled under the PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal) scheme in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh in
2024. The scheme was renamed as PM-POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakthi Nirman) in 2021.
A total sample of 200 upper primary school students was selected. Anthropometric assessment
revealed that nearly half of the students had normal BMI, while 40 percent were undernourished and
10 percent were overweight or obese. Height-for-age analysis showed that 45 percent of the children
had normal height, 35 percent were mildly stunted, and 18.5 percent were moderately stunted,
indicating the coexistence of undernutrition and overnutrition. Clinical examination revealed the
presence of pale nails, discoloured enamel, dental cavities, swollen gums, smooth tongue, and
transverse nail lines, suggesting micronutrient deficiencies—primarily iron and calcium. Although the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) provides one-third of the daily nutrient requirement, fifty percent of the
respondents suffered from some form of malnutrition. This calls for planned nutritional interventions
to complement the MDM scheme
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