Prevalence of Malnutrition among School Going Children

Abstract

In poor nations, malnutrition among school-age children is a complicated problem that is impacted by socioeconomic, environmental, and health-related factors. It poses serious obstacles to the students' overall wellbeing and academic paths. This review compiled data on the various facets of child malnutrition in developing nations' educational settings. This review adhered to Arksey and O'Malley's structure, which consists of six steps. A search was conducted across four primary databases: PubMed, CENTRAL, JSTOR, and Scopus. Google Scholar, ProQuest, HINARI, WHO Library, and Google were searched further. The reference lists of papers that qualified were examined. According to this review, malnutrition among children and adolescents enrolled in school is greatly impacted by poor family income, different family sizes, parental work status, and educational attainment. Malnutrition is also influenced by environmental factors, such as living conditions, household cleanliness, and rural/urban residence. The risk of malnutrition is further increased by dietary practices, vitamin inadequacies, physical activity, nutrition awareness, and common medical problems. The wide-ranging effects of malnutrition on general health, particular nutrient deficits, fetal/maternal health issues, and total morbidity are highlighted by this study. Additionally, poor nutrition has an impact on academic performance, attendance, and cognitive capacities. Comprehensive policy initiatives that prioritize gender equity, health literacy, and poverty reduction in line with the Sustainable Development Goals are needed to address these issues.