India is a developing country where the percentage of malnutrition and undernutrition is higher than that of developed countries. Nutritional status is such a state of health of a person, which is affected by the usefulness of food elements.​

1. Methods of
Determining Nutritional
Status
SUBMITTED BY: AKASH DASS

2. Introduction
India is a developing country where the percentage of malnutrition and
undernutrition is higher than that of developed countries. Information about the
nutritional level in different states, divisions and people of different ages is not
available in India.
Therefore, any nutrition program which is related to nutritional status is not
successful. Nutrition program should be made by keeping in mind the social,
economic condition of the particular place and means of obtaining food items.
In 1932, for the first time, the Health Organization of the League of Nations made
the first Proforma for Diet survey for the Assessment of nutritional status.

3. Definition
(1) Nutritional status is such a state of health of a person, which is affected by
the usefulness of food elements.​
(2) Nutritional status is the sum total of the state of body tissues and body
functions, which is produced and affected by the use and metabolism of food
substances.​

4. Objectives
(1) To support health through nutrition.
(2) Reducing child mortality.
(3) Contributing to the national program to avoid malnutrition.
(4) Creating and evaluating Programs for raising the nutritional
level through food items

5. Methods of
Determining
The
Nutritional
Status
(1) Diet Surveys
(2) Anthropometric
Examination
(3) Clinical
Measurements.

6. Diet Survey

7. Objectives
1. To obtain various types of information regarding the food
item and knowing the sufficiency of food items.
2. Giving dietary advice on the basis of the information
received from the diet survey, so that there is no shortage of
food items in future.
3. By getting information about the family, social, economic
and regional environment of a particular person, it becomes
easier to make dietary improvements like food habits and
value of food items.
4. Methods of purchasing, storing and distributing food items.
5. Methods of eating and serving local dishes.
6. Comparative information regarding the diet survey
conducted in the past.
7. Diet variations for special occasions and times of illness.
8. To assist in food distribution and transportation
programmes under normal and adverse conditions like flood,
drought, war, earthquake

8. Types of Diet Survey
Qualitative
Survey
Quantitative
Survey

9. Primary
Methods of
Diet Survey
 Food Balance Sheet Method
 Inventory Method
 Diet survey by weighment of food stuff
 By expenditure pattern
 Diet History
 Oral questionnaire

10. Anthropometric
Examination

11. Anthropometric examination refers to
as measurement of body size.
The main objective of it is to check for
various types of malnutrition and
deficiencies.

12. The use
of anthropometric
examination
to check the
nutritional status
depends on
following factors
Accurate age of the child
Appropriate Indian standard values for
different age groups
Appropriate tools for measurement like
weighing scale, salter scale, tri colour
tape, measuring tape, skinfold calliper

14. Various
measurements
for
anthropometric
examination
 Weight
 Height
 Head circumference
 Chest circumference
 Skinfold measurement
 Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC)

15. Weight - Weight for age reflects
the level of food intake. It can measure
short term malnutrition
Height - Height for age reflects the
total increase in size of the child up to
that moment. It can measure long term
malnutrition.

16. Head circumference – It is mainly related to brain
size. Head circumference is affected by protein energy
malnutrition. Therefore it is a good indicator of nutritional
status.
Chest circumference – Chest circumference
measurement along with head circumference is
useful to detect malnutrition in children.

17. MUAC – It is an useful measurement for assessing
thinness or muscle wasting in a child. The measurement
is taken using a tricolored arm tape. The red zone is 12.5
cm long, yellow is 1 cm long and the remaining portion is
green.
Skinfold measurement – It used to measure
the fat under the skin and it is used as an index of
fat reserves in the body

18. Clinical
Method

19. Clinical examination is one of the
simplest methods to assess
nutritional status. It involves looking
for changes (clinical signs/symptoms)
in the body that are indicative of a
particular deficiency.