Nutritional Status of School Going Children of Kangra Valley in Himachal Pradesh

Children are the most valuable asset of any nation as the nation walks on the tiny feet of its children. School going children constitute one of the important segments of the population. They account for over 20 per cent of the population in India. School-age is a dynamic period of growth and development as children undergo physical, mental, emotional and social changes. Nutritional requirements, especially at the age of 13 - 15 years increase owing to the spurt in growth that occurs at puberty. Meagre work has been reported on the nutritional status of children (13-15 years) in Himachal Pradesh. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess their nutritional status in rural areas of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.