Weight for Height of Children in Nepal

Health is more important for the physical and mental growth and development of children. The children under five years are considered as a critical stage for their future development. Food plays vital role in development of children health. In this relation, the study has explored and analysed weight for height of children of 3-5 years with reference to age and gender. The study was conducted in rural area of Makawanpur and Chitawan districts of Nepal among the 1250 samples.The study found that in total, 4.3% children were in sever/worst malnourished (-3SD) of weight for height. Similarly, 8.7% children were in moderate malnourished (-2SD), and 26.9% were in mild malnourished (-1SD). The study found that there was very slightly different in nutritional status of Chepang and non Chepang children.

implication as well. Bhattarai and colleagues(2012) explored that regarding children, two third of male and 50% female were malnourished. Similarly, 51.2% of male and 28% of female were found stunted indicating chronic malnutrition and 39% of male and 42% of female were found suffering Chronic Energy Deficiency (Thinness) while 3% male had class-I obesity and they were overweight. Almost all of the children were forced to the moderate work, due to cultural impact, lack of awareness and social bad impact. "Adult man, women and children from 13 months to 5 years obtained total energy from their daily food" (Bhattarai, Rai, & Rai, 2012, p. 222).
There are different causes of under-nutrition. They are economical, cultural, environmental, lack of awareness, etc. To come out of these different causes food security policy act is needed. However, "in Nepal, a separate policy for food safety and quality doesn't exit. How as expects of food safety and quality have been reflected in other policy and strategies such as Nepal Plan of Action on Nutrition 1998, Multi-sectorial Nutritional Plan 2013 have stressed the impotence of food safety and quality. Food safety and quality policy has been drafted and yet to be approved by the Government of Nepal." (Wasti & Purna, 2013, p. 8).

Materials & Method
"A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure" (Kothari, 2009). A research design provides the framework for the collection and analysis of data. This research was an explorative based on mixed method. Through such research we can analyse the various factors which motivate people to behave in particular manner or which make people like or dislike in food intake in Chepang community of Chitawan and Makawanpur districts of Nepal. This study was non-experimental cross sectional. Primary data were collected by using the structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. Simple frequency distribution was applied to identify the nutrition status of 3-5 years children. Comparative study was conducted between the Chepang and Non-Chepang communities. As well as through FGDs qualitative data were collected and narrated. Quantitative data, cross-sectional survey method has been used. A well-structured questionnaire and measurement of weight and height were used to determine the nutritional status of children of socio-economic, environmental, demographic and household deprivation on nutritional status of the 3-5 years children in rural areas of Chitawan and Makawanpur districts in Chepang communities. It was compared with Brahman/Chhetri of 3-5 years children. Census method was used for questionnaire survey from Chepang population 3-5 year children household for data collection. The key informants were 3-5 years children households.
Quantitative data were gathered by structured questions containing height, weight and mid-upper arms circumference (MUAC) measurement. The anthropometric measure as well as Department of Health and WHO standards were used for the determination of nutritional status of 3-5 years children. Standard deviation of score (Z-score) for weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ) were calculated.

Objectives of the Research
The main objective of this study is to explore and analyse weight for height of children of 3-5 years with reference to age and gender.

Sex-Wise No. of Children in Family
The collected data show that 49.3% boys and 50.7% girls were found. Among them, 49.9% non-Chepang and 48.8% Chepang boys were reported.  Similarly, from Chitawan district, 49% non-Chepang and 51.3% Chepang were boys. District-wise, boys' participation was higher from Chitawan district whereas girls were higher from Makawanpur district.

Total Family Members in a Family
50.5% respondents reported that they had less than 5 members in a family, 34.6% had 5-8 members, 12.8% had 8-11 members, 1.7% had 11-14 and 0.4% had more than 14 members in a family. Chepang had more than 14 members in a family in Chitawan district. Number of family members was found high in Chepang in both districts as comparison with other non-Chepang communities.

Weight for Height of Children
The weight for height of children was identified on the basis of nutritional measurement scale developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Table 4 shows that in total, 4.3% children were in sever/worst malnourished (-3SD) of weight for height. Similarly, 8.7% children were in moderate malnourished (-2SD), and 26.9% were in mild malnourished (-1SD). The results support the research finding of baseline survey report of Tanahu that "27% children were suffering from severe and moderate undernutrition and 7% were having severe and moderate wasting indicating acute malnutrition" (United Mission to Nepal, 2003, p. vi).

Conclusion
The study has focused to explore the weight for height of Chepang and non-Chepang children of Makawanpur and Chitawan districts of Nepal in relation to malnutrition status as defined by WHO guideline. The study found that there was very slightly different in nutritional status of Chepang and non Chepang children. In total, 4.3% children were in sever/worst malnourished (-3SD) of weight for height. Similarly, 8.7% children were in moderate malnourished (-2SD), and 26.9% were in mild malnourished (-1SD).The findings of this study is similar to the research finding of baseline survey report of Tanahu district of Nepal.The study strongly recommend to study on the same issue in other districts and other age groups too.