Renuka Jayatissa|Aberra Bekele|Chandrani Piyasena|Senarath Mahamithawa
Assessment of Nutritional Status of Children under Five Years of Age, Pregnant Women, and Lactating Women Living in Relief Camps after the Tsunami in Sri Lanka
Medical Research Institute
strong earthquake hit aceh december 26 2004 triggered powerful tsunami resulting unprecedented catastrophe sri lanka initial phase disaster marked limited access food coupled inadequate supply safe water poor environmental hygiene sanitation placed children increased risk undernutritionto assess nutritional status children five years age pregnant women lactating women residing 40 relief camps tsunamia crosssectional 30cluster study performed thirty children five cluster camp pregnant lactating women selected camps studied data collected interviews primary caregivers children interviews key informants camps direct observation focus group discussions mothers weight height length measured children pregnant women midupperarm circumference lactating women measureda total 878 children assessed 161 202 347 wasted stunted underweight respectively prevalence indicator higher boys girls 2 weeks survey 695 children acute respiratory tract infections 179 diarrhea although general food distribution well place food supply lacked diversity 709 children get appropriate supplementary food prevalence undernutrition among pregnant women n 168 37 thirtyone percent lactating women n 97 underweight 20 overweightthe prevalence acute chronic undernutrition among children camps significantly higher national sri lankan average need establish nutritional surveillance systems monitor nutritional status displaced nondisplaced children mothers