MSc

The abstract of the study is presented here. The present study aims to assess the nutritional status of the women workers, to assess the stress determinants of women workers and to study the relationship between the stress and nutritional status of women workers.

Eighty women working in rubber plantations formed the experimental group and 20 women working solely in household activities formed the control group as subjects of study.

The present study was found that majority of the respondents were in the age group of 36 - 45 and were belonging to Hindus. Majority of the respondents had high school education. Most of the respondents were from nuclear family with four members.

Majority (53.75 percent) of the respondents belonged to the age group 36-45. Eighty percent of the experimental group belonged to the Small family while in the control group all the 20 families belonged to Small family. Educational attainment of the respondents (Experimental Group) indicated that majority of the group (50 percent) had high school level education only 3 percent were illiterate. In the control group majority of this group i.e. 50 percent have got high school level education and none of them were illiterate.

The family income of the experimental group reveals that majority (58 percent) of the respondents had the monthly family income between 2500-5000 .In control group 75 percent of the respondents have the income between 2500-5000.On observing monthly expenditure patterns of the families, the respondents spent majority of their income for the purchase of food items. The food use frequency revealed that the food items like cereals, nuts and oilseeds (coconut), spices and condiments, fats and oils were consumed daily by all the respondents.

Comparing the RDA with the nutrient intake, the intake of energy, protein and calcium was higher than the recommended in experimental group whereas the iron intake was found to be low. The intake of energy, protein, calcium retinol, riboflavin, and niacin was higher than that of the recommended allowances of the control group .The iron intake was lower than the RDA percent. The fat intake was higher than the RDA.

The result revealed that 10 percent of the respondents were in positive energy balance while 90 percent of them were in negative energy balance. But majority of respondents in control group (55 per cent) was in positive energy balance, as intake was greater than energy expenditure while 45 percent were in negative energy balance.

Sixty four percent of the women were found to be normal, one percent of them were chronically energy deficient and 14 percent of the women had overweight in experimental group. In control group 55 percent of the women were found to be normal, 30 percent women were over weight and 5 percent of them were chronically energy deficient.

Biochemical assessment of the respondents revealed that 66 percent of the experimental group was below the normal level of heamoglobin while in control group it was 45 percent. Thirty three percent of the experimental group had normal range of heamoglobin level and in control group it was 55 percent.

The Nutritional Status Index of the respondents ranged from 250-350. Seventy six percent of the respondents had the mean NSI 321. Twenty percent of the respondents were having an average nutritional status index of 290. Four percent of the respondents had the NSI above 350. In the control group, 75 percent of the respondents had the mean NSI of 324.35. Twenty percent of the respondents were having mean nutritional status index of 289.72 and 5 percent of the respondents were having the NSI of 363.49.

In stress determinants it is found that 77.5 per cent of the experimental were having mild stress and 16.25 per cent had low stress whereas 6.25 percent had high stress. In control group all the respondents had low stress. The experimental group had higher stress when compared to the control group. It is also revealed that stress from environment is related to the nutritional status of experimental group when compared to the control group.

There is relationship between stress scores and health problems. The experimental group had more stress and health problems when compared to the control group. Higher the stress scores more the health problems. It is also found that there is significant relationship between the job stress and health problems of the respondents. The experimental group had more job stress and they were more prone to health problems when compared to the control group.