Nutritional assessment of under‐three years children availing Anganwadi services from rural areas of Puducherry, India.

Aim: Undernurition stands as a significant contributor to childhood mortality, particularly in developing nations such as India. At the grass root level, anthropometric monitoring indicators such as stunting, underweight and wasting take place within Anganwadi centres (village courtyard). The scrutiny of growth records, utilising these markers, not only quantifies the burden but also informs corrective measures. This study aimed to assess the prevailing growth monitoring records within the rural vicinity of Puducherry. Methods: A community‐based cross‐sectional study design was implemented to examine the health condition of children below 3 years of age, who were enrolled and utilising services in Anganwadi centres. The anthropometric data, such as weight and height, were collected from growth monitoring records maintained in Anganwadi. The proportions of undernutrition indicators such as stunting, underweight and wasting were presented with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Within our rural service area encompassing 13 Anganwadis, a total of 572 children aged 3 or less were registered. Notably, approximately 14.2% (95% CI: 11.5–17.3) of these children experienced underweight, 16.4% (95% CI: 13.6–19.7) were stunted and 13.3% (95% CI: 10.8–16.3) were wasted. In terms of gender disparities, the prevalence of undernurition was notably higher among boy children, with 15.4% being underweight, 16.9% stunted and 14.7% wasted. Conclusions: The prevalence of childhood undernurition is a public health concern, demanding the enhancement of existing nutritional initiatives to ameliorate the healthy well‐being of these children. The timely identification of malnourished children holds paramount importance, as intensified interventions can be promptly employed to uplift the health status of these vulnerable individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]