58 International Journal of Current Research and Review www.ijcrr.com Vol. 04 issue 09 May 2012 ijcrr Vol 04 issue 09 Category: Research Received on:05/03/12 Revised on:13/03/12 Accepted on:21/03/12 ABSTRACT Background: Girls are more likely to be victim due to various reasons. In a family with limited resources, the female child is more likely to be neglected. She is deprived of nutritious food, education and utilized as an extra working hand to carryout the house hold work. If their nutritional needs are not met they are likely to give birth to under nourished children, thus transmitting under nutrition to future generation. Prevalence of anemia was high in adolescent girls from low socio-economic families and joint families due to inadequate intake of diet by the adolescent girls. The present study is under taken to know the nutritional status and prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls. Objectives: 1. To assess the nutritional status of adolescent girls 2. To estimate the prevalence of anemia among Adolescent girls. Method: Community based cross-sectional study was done in urban field practice area of BLDEAS Shri B.M.Patil Medical College, Bijapur. The study subject includes all adolescent girls who have attained menarche. Data was collected by questionnaire method and analyzed. Results: The overall prevalence of anemia was found to be 78.93%. It was observed that statistical significance was found between socioeconomic status with Body Mass Index as well as Anemia. Conculsion: This study concludes that under nutrition and anemia were widely prevalent in adolescent girls. There is a need to initiate intervention measures aimed at this group in order to reduce the prevalence of anemia and under nutrition. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: Anemia, under nutrition, BMI, Socioeconomic, Education. INTRODUCTION Adolescence, a period of growth spurt between the ages of 10-19 years 1 and is also a high risk group for nutritional deficiency disorders. It is a period of increased nutritional requirements because during this period 35% of weight and 11-18% of adult height is acquired. 2 During the period of adolescence, blood volume and muscle mass increases and that in turn is found to increase the need for hemoglobin formation and lack of proper nutritious diet leads to anemia. 3 In our country, the prevalence of anemia amongst adolescent girls varies between 50- 82% 4; such a high prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls is a matter of great concern as these girls enters reproductive life. Girls are more vulnerable, particularly in developing countries including India due to adverse socio- cultural and economic reasons. The WHO Expert committee has recommended that measures of Height and Weight provide useful NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN URBAN SLUM, BIJAPUR Rekha Udgiri, Vijaya Sorganvi, Veena Algur BLDEU‘S Shri. B M Patil Medical College, BIJAPUR E-mail of Corresponding Author: drrekhabiradar@rediffmail.com