ABCDE OF COMMUNITY NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT

Nutritional status of an individual generally depends on two factors; external factors including food safety, cultural, political & socio-economic and internal factors such as sex, age, behavior, physical activity, nutrition and overall health. Nutritional status of a community is the sum total of the nutritional statuses of the individuals residing in that particular community. Nutritional assessment is a detailed investigation ideally by a physician and a dietician to identify and quantify clinically relevant malnutrition. Nutritional management as a result of nutritional screening & assessment effectively reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality among communities. Nutritional screening involves two methods: directly through objective criteria from individuals and indirectly using community health and nutritional indices.