EFFECT OF DIETARY IRON INTAKES ON PHYSICAL WORK CAPACITY OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS FROM DIFFERENT DEPRIVED COMMUNITIES.

Anemia, primarily caused by a lack of dietary iron, is most commonly found in children from the lower socio economic groups. Nutritional anemia is a serious public health problem. The present investigation was undertaken with a major objective of assessing dietary iron intakes of female adolescent girls (10-18 years) residing in rural areas and urban slums of Chittoor Distirct. A group of age matched urban elite girls was also studied who acted as experimental control. The study sample of girls were selected by adopting multi stage sampling technique. The dietary survey of all the subjects was carried out to get food intake data for 3 alternated days in a week and by one day weighing method. Thus mean of 3 days intake was considered and mean of 3 days dietary iron intakes were compared with recommended allowances of ICMR. The physical work capacity of girls was assessed through step test. After recording pulse rate the subject was made to climb up and down a pair of 9? step stair case for a period of three minutes. Total number of steps taken during a three minute was counted immediately after stopping the activity post exercise pulse rates was counted. The time taken by the child to reach the basal pulse rate was noted as recover time in seconds. SPSS ? 13 (statistical package for social sciences) was used for statistical analysis, student t- test and analysis of variance was done for comparison among 4 different communities for dietary iron intakes and physical work capacity. Results indicated that the mean iron intakes of rural and urban girls are significantly far below the RDA and the differences were significance at 1% level. Urban elite (UE) girls performed more number of steps than the other three groups of girls. The resting pulse rate, post exercise pulse rate and recovery time are significantly more for RSC (Rural Scheduled Caste) followed by USL (Urban Slum), RFC (Rural Forward caste) girls in comparison to UE (Urban Elite) girls.