MSc

A study on "Anaemia and work performance of pre-
adolescent girls engaged in sports activities was carried out
to assess the prevalence of ana.emia and its consequences on
performance. Details pertaining to the socio-economic
variables. dietary habits, food consumption pattern, energy
balance. nutritional status and physical endurance built up of
the respondents were studied in detail.
The surveyed'respondents under study belonged to low
economic strata. Social status of the respondents indicated
that majority belonged to christian community and are from
under privileged communities. Nuclear type families of medium
size are common among the surveyed respondents.
All the pre-adolescent athletes studied were habitual
non-vegetarians. Frequency of use of various foods among the
respondents revealed that cereals, milk, fat and sugars were
the items used daily in the dietaries while roots and tubers,
ftuits, fish and egg were used frequently. Four meal-a-day
pattern was followed by majority of the respondents.
Food preference of respondents indicated that rice
was the most preferred cereal and green gram the most preferred
pulse among the respondents. Less preference was recorded for
green leafy vegetable while vegetables were medium preferred

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food i terns among the r e s p o nd e n t s . Tapioca was the most
preferred roots and tuber, while mango and plantain preferred
by all the respondents. Milk and milk products, animal foods,
bakery items and other processed foods and health drinks were
found to be liked by all of them.
Food consumption pattern of the respondents indicated
that except pulses all other food groups were inadequately met
when compared with the suggested levels of food for athletes.
With regard to nutrient intake, Vitamin A and Ascorbic acid
were met above the RDA suggested, while calories and iron were
almost adequately met. Rest of the nutrients were found to be
inadequate in the dietaries of the athletes. However energy
balance with respect to energy intake and expenditure was found
to depict positive trend in majority of the respondents.
On analysing anthropometric data, it was found that
weight for age of the athletes were found to be slightly below
the national and international standards suggested where as
height for age was found to be on par with the Indian
Standards. Body mass index and waist hip ratio were found to
be satisfactory in majority of respondents. It is encouraging
to note that pre-adolescent athletes have well built arm muscle
area with adequate lean body mass and body fat.
Clinical examination of the respondents revealed only
mild forms of anaemia among some of the respondents.

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Biochemical investigations carried out indicate
atisfactory iron balance among the respondents.
It is interesting to note that physical endurance
ndicators assessed were in support of good aerobic and
maerobic power in the respondents.
The performance index of the respondents appeared to
ie sound and ranged between 11.7 to 13.6 and the nutri t i o n a I
.t a t u s index of the respondents fall between 169 to 176.
A positive s i g n i f' i c a n t correlation was observed
ie t w e e n Nutritional Sta.tus Index with calorie intake,
Inthropometric measurements and haemoglobin levels.
-er f o r man ce Index showed positive significant correlation with
rg e of the respondents, anthropometric parameters, dietary
.a r i a b l e s , biochemical parameters and physical endurance
indicators. Performance Index of the respondents was also
found to be significantly influenced by Nutritional Status
Index of the respondents.