Abstract:
A Survev of nutritionai status in all districts in Sri Lanka excepr the Northern and
Eastern Provinceswas carried out belween October 1988 and February 1989. Thesurvey unit was a
household with at least one child below 10 months of age. Heights and weights of pre-school
children \r/ere measured and transformed to indicators of matnutrition, namely, weight-for-age
and height-for-age, and the standard deviation expressed as z-scores.
The national estimates for deficits in height-for-age (stunting), weight-for-age (wasting)
and both deflciencies occurring concurrently are 36.4, 18.4 and 5.2 respectively. The incidence
of stunting is high in the administrative districts of Kandy, Matale, Badulla, Nuwara Eliya and
Moneragala. Compatisons wtth results of the 1980/82 survey shows a stagnation in height gain
between 1980182 and 1989/90, except in Nuwara Eliya, where the incidence of stunring has
fallen from 6$% to 4l.E'%, probably due to several nutritior>.re!ated Projects carried ou!
in the estates since 1980. The incidence of wastlng has increased from 12.3\ in 1980/82
ta 18.4o1o. The incidence of concurrent stunting and wasring has increased two-fold since
1980/82 in Mata!e and Moneragala, a particularly disadvantaged population with a large section
teporting monthly incomes less than Rs.700/-,
Among the determinanls of malnutrition are birth order of the child, the mother's educational
level, the father's occupation and the family income.
