Abstract

Undernutrition in children and adolescents is a major problem in India. Age at menarche is a significant indicator of growth in girls. The present study records age at menarche, prevalence of under nutrition measured by Rohrer Index in both pre-menarcheal (n=107) as well as post-menarcheal (n = 131) girls (n = 238) aged 6.01 to 14.63 years. In this cross-sectional study, mean age at menarche is estimated to be 12.60 years. The comparative statements between these two sections indicate significant difference in height, weight and Rohrer Index. This Index indicates very high prevalence of low health profiles of the girls.

Key words: Menarcheal age, undernutrition, Rohrer index.