CORRELATION BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE SCORES OF DIETARY HABITS IN RELATION TO PREVENTION OF MALNUTRITION AMONG MOTHERS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

A child’s entire life is determined by giving what kind of food during first five years of life. Since childhood is vulnerable phase in the life of human being, nutritional inadequacies will result in the hampering of the development of the body. Future of the country is determined by the growing generation of the country. In India health hazards associated with under nutrition and micronutrients deficiencies remain major health problems. The past three decades have witnessed the emergence of over nutrition as a problem in school age children in developed countries. In developed countries the consumption of high calories food and the increasingly sedentary life style have been implicated as the major factors responsible for the rising obesity rates. The present study reveals that there is a mild correlation between knowledge and practice scores (r =0.06), practice and attitude correlation value is (r =0.042), correlation between knowledge and attitude is (r =0.0061). The findings will reveal the correlation between knowledge, attitude and practice of preschool children’s mothers regarding Dietary Habits in relation to Prevention of Malnutrition.