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Nutritional status and challenges faced by visually impaired school children

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Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Food Service Management and Dietetics, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore – 641 043, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 2Department of Food Service Management and Dietetics, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore – 641 043, Tamil Nadu, India

Res. J. Family, Community and Consumer Sci., Volume 13, Issue (1), Pages 9-14, January,27 (2025)

Abstract

Visual impairment in children refers to a significant reduction in vision that cannot be corrected with standard glasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery, adversely impacting a child’s ability to learn, communicate and perform daily activities. This includes a range of vision problems, from mild vision loss to complete blindness and can result from various conditions such as congenital abnormalities, diseases, injuries or infections affecting the eyes or the visual pathways to the brain. This study aims to assess the nutritional status and challenges among visually impaired children. The study was conducted in four districts Tamil Nadu. A total of 140 visually impaired were involved in the study. A well-structured interview schedule was used and face to face interview was conducted to collect the data. The study involved 140 children, majority (50.7 percent) of them belonged to 14 to 17 years of age group. Most of the children (55.7 percent) were having a normal body mass index. Around 85.71 percent of them identified their visual impairment during their birth. The result shows that the average intake of the children was deficit in all the nutrients when compared to the recommended dietary allowance. The results highlighted that there is a significant association in activities carried out between boys and girls. Majority of the visually impaired children face challenges in carrying out their academic activities. Adequate nutrition is important to overcome the nutritional deficiencies and other health conditions. Vitamin A deficiency causes various eye related health problems. Poor nutrition intake may adversely affect the cognitive function, concentration and learning abilities of the children. Addressing the nutritional deficiencies through targeted intervention is essential in enhancing the overall well-being of the visually impaired children.

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